Flowers provided by:AMCHS Advanced Floral Design Class

Photography by: AMCHS Yearbook Staff

*Sponsorships received as of 4/25/2012

The Hall of Fame is graciously underwritten by

Anco InsuranceAudio Video

Birdwell & Wright Family & Cosmetic DentistryJames and Tommie Haverland

Wells Fargo

Silver Level SponsorsAmerican Momentum BankCommerce National Bank

Spirit of Texas Bank

Program

Welcome & Recognition of SponsorsCal McNeill, President, Education Foundation Board

Teresa Benden, Education Foundation Director

Hall of Fame Student Selection Process Gwen Elder, Principal, A&M Consolidated High School

Honored EducatorsChrissy Hester, Director of Student Services, CSISD

Recognition of Hall of Fame HonoreesStephen Wright, Past-President, Education Foundation Board

Selected Essay Readings

ClosingEddie Coulson, Superintendent, CSISD

Student Honorees from

A&M Consolidated High School

Rebecca Albrechthonoring Lisa Pieper

Selfless: devoted to others’ interests, not one’s own. There are so many words to describe Mrs. Pieper but this word

stands out the most to describe such an amazing person. Ever since I met Mrs. Pieper my sophomore year, I have seen

nothing but kindness, generosity and selflessness. She is always helping others, whether it is designing floral arrange-

ments for weddings or interacting with students. Mrs. Pieper is so dedicated to her job and she loves what she does. She is

always striving to create the best floral designs and helping her FFA teams by encouraging them to do their best. She is such a

fun person to be around whether it is frantically setting up for a wedding reception 30 minutes before it begins or saving other

people’s plants at the Houston Livestock Show. At times I have struggled with personal issues. During those times I was able

to confide in Mrs. Pieper who was calm and understanding while I was an emotional wreck. She was willing to give me her

full attention even if it meant staying late after school and dropping what she was doing to listen. She is such a great mentor,

not only to me, but to others as well. Mrs. Pieper helps her students become leaders by empowering us to be our own person

and create our own designs. She has supported me and encouraged me to pursue my dream in fashion design at Texas Tech

University when others have not been supportive. Because of her support, I have the confidence I need to pursue my goals.

When I see Mrs. Pieper give of herself to others, I strive to be just like her: a kind and generous individual. She is an inspiration

to all who know her. Mrs. Pieper is not just a teacher; she is an educator, a mentor and my friend.

Community Service: FCCLA-St. Joseph Hospital projects; Tiger Mentors; Invisible Children Fashion Show; CATE Tours Leadership positions: FCCLA Vice President and Treasurer Extra-curricular activities: National Honor Society; FCCLA; FFA; Invisible Children Plans after high school: Attend Texas Tech University, majoring in apparel design and manufacturing with a minor in business. Attend Parson’s School of Design in New York City

Kandeel Alihonoring Elizabeth Cunha

When a student walks into a new environment, he looks around for someone he knows so he is not standing by him-self. Similarly, when I started freshmen year in high school, I felt like a complete outsider among all the upper class-men. It was then that I first heard about the student success learning lab but never really went inside until my sopho-

more year. My first day at the learning lab was the first time I met Mrs. Cunha. I went inside and started to do my homework. As I struggled to understand my homework, Mrs. Cunha walked over kindly and offered me a helping hand. I went several times to the learning lab that year but it was junior year when the learning lab became my second home. Every time I went to the learning lab, I knew I had someone to talk to. I knew Mrs. Cunha would always be there to listen. A good teacher is not one that just wakes up to teach, but one who wakes up to make a difference. Mrs. Cunha is the difference in my life. She has been more than a teacher ever since I met her. She would listen to my stories and give me really good advice. I still remember the day when she took me around the school on a walk because I was crying about losing a close friend. That day, all she did was listen, but that was enough for me to know that whenever I am in school, I have someone to call my own. Mrs. Cunha helped me through all my Pre-Cal and Chemistry questions. Despite the difficulty of the chemistry questions, she never quit on me. We enjoyed working together till we found the answer. She always knew from the start that I had the potential to understand and perform well on my tests but all I needed was a little motivation. Whenever I would walk into the learning lab “spazing” out for a test, she assured me that I would do great. She told me stories so I could remember the formulas in Pre-Cal. Mrs. Cunha has always been a little more than a teacher for me. This year, she took me to a college class so I could know the difference be-tween high school and college and be prepared for it. When I told her that I got my first job, she brought her family to my work and made me feel great. Whenever I am around Mrs. Cunha, I have always felt good about myself. She has always been the kind of person who has brought positivity and good vibes. In all, Mrs. Cunha’s presence has been one of the best parts of high school for me. She has understood me, my situations, my problems and my culture and accepted it. The greatest memory of Mrs. Cunha that I will take with me are all the times we spent solving problems and talking about life. Thank You, Mrs. Cunha.

Community Service: Nursing Home; I-Cerv (Ismaili community engaged in responsible volunteering)Leadership positions: Youth Volunteer Administrator; Youth Volunteer Leader; Pre-K Teacher at Religious Education Center; Teacher at Early Child Development CenterExtra-curricular activities: HOSA – competed in Medical Reading and Nursing AssistingPlans after high school: I plan to attend college and nursing school and then OB/GYN at Medical School

Sarah Almandhonoring Megan Winkelmann

Community Service: George Bush Library Archives Intern; St. Joseph’s Outpatient Rehabilitation & Therapy; College Station Tiger Softball Assistant Coach; Brazos Valley Sports Medicine Physical TherapyLeadership positions: A&M Consolidated High School Softball Senior Co-Captain Extra-curricular activities: AMCHS Softball; Junior Leadership Brazos; A&M United Methodist Church Youth; National Honor Society; Student CouncilPlans after high school: Major in nutritional sciences at Texas A&M Univer-sity

I first met Coach Winkelmann at the beginning of softball season my senior year. After the first few days of practice, I wasn’t

sure what to think about her. I didn’t necessarily dislike her, but I have to admit that I didn’t instantly like her either. Little did

I know that she would be the person that would have the greatest impact on me. Coach Wink, what I know her as, renewed

my enthusiasm for the game of softball. She played softball in high school, as well. Because she is experienced in softball, she

has really been able to help me become a better player. Not only that, but she has helped me develop into a leader. As the

season progressed, Coach Wink helped the other seniors and I establish our own roles as leaders on the team. She felt that I

filled in more of a motherly spot for the team. Coach Wink told me she had the same leadership position when she was a senior

on her high school softball team. She has showed me that there are ways to get on to someone without yelling. She has taught

me that a good leader is able to keep everybody positive, even when errors are committed, and they don’t point fingers. She is

a great coach and I think she enjoys having fun with the rest of my teammates and me, but she knows when it is time to focus.

She sets a good example during practice, games, and through what she has to say during team huddles so that I can follow it

and learn even more from her. Although I have learned all of this from Coach Wink on the softball field, I know I will be able to

take what she taught me and use it for many years to come.

Jackie Amdorhonoring April Wilson

Within the vast amount of time a person spends being a student, I personally believe one’s freshman year in high school is not only the most influential period of time a student goes through, but also the year in which teachers demonstrate to their students the academic rigor that will set the standards for the student’s work ethic the remain-

der of schooling. I found this to be true from day one at AMCHS, when I walked into Mrs. Wilson’s Honors World History class second period, my first academic class of the day following Belles. As she began her introduction, I could tell that high school was going to be much different from middle school, especially this class. From the start, Mrs. Wilson proved her great passion for teaching world history not only adequately, but extremely well, ensuring that her students absorbed and retained as much information as possible. Her class not only helped me prepare for the high school expectations for homework and adequate studying, but also for the independence required to carry out these two tasks successfully. Where Mrs. Wilson stands out from among any of my other teachers throughout my learning experience lies in the way and manner in which she teaches. Not only do her students learn the information she presents to them, but enjoy learning it through her amazing teaching techniques which make classroom learning enjoyable. Mrs. Wilson always managed to have my class laughing each and every day. Another aspect of Mrs. Wilson that sets her apart from any of my other educators is the passion and hard work she pours into her job. She is so professional in everything she does from her appearance to her teaching lessons and her admirable sense of organization. Her professional attitude about her job definitely has inspired me to have a professional outlook on school and her organizational skills are something to be admired. Mrs. Wilson always seems well put-together and well-prepared for what the day ahead of her has, and I truly admire her for bringing this type of inspiration into my life throughout my high school career. I definitely owe a lot of my drive to her, as she is truly what sparked interest in my learning my freshman year of high school.

Community Service: St. Thomas Aquinas Church Choir; Brazos Animal ShelterLeadership positions: PULSE team at St. Thomas Aquinas Youth; Sym-phony Belles; Painted mural in the Nurse’s Office on book shelf.Extra-curricular activities: Bengal Belles Dance/Drill Team; AMCHS Varsity Orchestra; National Honor Society; St. Thomas Aquinas Orchestra; The Theatre Company – Pit Orchestra; Performed for several AMCHS musicalsPlans after high school: Attending Texas A&M University as a biochemis-try major with a focus in pre-pharmacy

Justin Bendenhonoring Cathy Bush

When most people try to remember an educator that had an impact on their education, they think back to one specific year. I am fortunate enough to have had my chosen educator for five years. I first met Mrs. Bush when I attended Chess Club at South Knoll Elementary as a kindergartener. She recognized early on that I caught on well and

quickly had me competing against third and fourth graders. Well, that was a huge boost in my confidence! Chess Club became one my favorite activities in elementary school. Our team competed in many local tournaments, and we were feared as we consistently took first place. I’d like to think that this feat was accomplished on our own, but of course I now know that much of our success was because of Mrs. Bush’s coaching and encouragement. At the end of first grade, I was tested and accepted into the Gifted and Talented program. Mrs. Bush soon became my enrichment teacher. Walking into Mrs. Bush’s room for the first time, I had no idea that this wonderful lady would have such an impact on my development as a student and as a person. I loved going to Mrs. Bush’s class three times a week. She would give me extra logic and math problems to fin-ish, and if I completed them, she would give me a blue raspberry Dum-Dum lollipop (back in the good ol’ days before all the no-candy in schools policy). Mrs. Bush was an excellent teacher whether it was one-on-one, or if she was teaching a whole class. I always wondered how she had so much patience with us because some of the kids in the GT program were……, well, interesting to say the least. No matter what situation, Mrs. Bush encouraged me think a little harder to achieve my goal or finish any problem. Going to her class was a ball! She truly made learning FUN! I remember writing letters to pen pals in Canada and making $40,000 (fake dollars) in the stock market project. We were learning how to make PowerPoint-like presentations before PowerPoint was even around on laptops (this was before everyone had one!) I remember building castles and bridges out of an assortment of materials, dressing up like Elvis and Julius Caesar while participating in Destination Imagination, and of course my favorite, working hard math and logic problems. To this day, I still love solving a good math problem and I attribute this to Mrs. Bush. She is one of the main reasons why I am where I am today academically. Thank you, Mrs. Bush, for giving me FIVE YEARS of challenging fun and a wonderful foundation of learning!

Community Service: United Way Youth Leadership Cabinet which includes service to Brazos Valley Food Bank, Boys & Girls Club and Twin City Mission; CNA Volunteer at Nursing Home and the College Station Medical Center; Volunteer 7-on-7 football coach for 7th gradersLeadership positions: United Way Youth Leadership Cabinet Chair (12th) & Vice Chair (11th)Extra-curricular activities: Varsity Football 3 year letterman, 7 on 7 Football, National Honor Society, Health Occupation Students of America, Powder Puff Football Coach, Grace Bible Church memberPlans after high school: Major in biomedical engineering at Texas A&M University and then attend medical school

Franco Bettatihonoring Chauncey Lindner

A large, red-bearded man was standing outside the door to an English classroom, resplendent in Norse battle armor and wielding a hammer of considerable size. It was not Thor, the Norse god of thunder, though the likeness was deceptively realistic; instead it was Chauncey Lindner, my soon-to-become English III teacher. My first glance of Mr.

Lindner/Thor, during my sophomore year’s “Dress like a Superhero” day, was a rather appropriate one. Though a peaceful, quiet and very agreeable man, there is something of both the blacksmith and the surgeon within him. Using rhetorical tongs and his emphatic “grammar hammer”, he welded and forged our essays into a much stronger and more convincing form. Simul-taneously, he sliced apart the fabric of our writing with his red pen, removing any weaknesses, and sewing back together the worthy elements of our essays. With a few of his insights, he completely altered the way we approached writing as a whole, encouraging us to break out of the constrained bounds of what we had considered the only form of written expression per-missible, and convincing us slowly and decisively that there truly was more than one way to write an essay. To understand much of Mr. Lindner’s teaching style, one only has to briefly peruse his classroom. Complete with soft music playing during the passing periods and a couch to languish contentedly upon, it has the feel of a whitewashed coffee shop. Also like in coffee shops, conversations sprang up across the room over a variety of subjects, bouncing to and fro from subject matters in avid pursuit of the prominent literary concepts being discussed. Rarely, if ever, did Mr. Lindner lecture our class over a specific novel. Rather, he orchestrated questions and thought-provoking comments that inevitably would lead us to the concepts he wanted us to realize. Analogies were made, thoughts were traded, opinions were updated and examples given, emanating mostly from the students to their compatriots. Mr. Lindner played the class like a musical instrument, taking steps to provoke the ideas he wanted to propagate, and yet remaining very sensitive and receptive to the class’s desires. Many a day was spent outside at the students’ requests, many more spent in reflection of our own writing abilities. Above all, we felt secure in our abilities to speak and to write, creatively and intelligently. We spent our days reading Hawthorne, Hemmingway, McCarthy, Fitzgerald and Ellison among others, and under the mentorship of Mr. Lindner, we learned to glimpse inside of them for the ideas that made their existence worthwhile. Thanks to Mr. Lindner, we grew a begrudging appreciation for those Great American Novels, and left class everyday feeling one step closer to writing our own.

Community Service: Tuwapende Watoto Orphanage Volunteer in Tanza-nia, Africa; Brazos Valley Symphony SoloistLeadership positions: French Symposium Team Leader, President of Model OAS Extra-curricular activities: Debate Team, National Science Bowl, Junior Classical League, Piano and Organ Studies Plans after high school: To join the United States Foreign Service as an international diplomat

Taylor Beyerhonoring Michelle Greene

When I think back to 9th grade, I remember being very alone. People talked to me, my teachers liked me, I made good grades, but I somehow managed to stay unconnected for my entire freshman year. Sophomore year I de-cided to audition for the school play, if only to finally fit in somewhere. I figured I’d go ahead and audition for the

musical too, because I liked singing. When I found out that I got a lead in the musical, I think I stopped breathing for a solid thirty seconds. During the first rehearsal, I officially met our director, a short, fiery haired, ball of energy named “Greene”. This teacher changed my life. Not only did she guide me through shows, but she also mentored me through dramas I faced in reality. She has been the driving force behind everything that I have accomplished in the past three years. During our production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream for One Act, I became extremely ill, though I still doggedly attended rehearsals for my role as Puck. After accepting that I was not going to step down unless forced, Greene basically became my second mother. She took my costume in as I lost weight, brought special food for me to our competitions, tirelessly helped me work through my monologues, and, with the help of Creel, my other wonderful director, combed out my ratted multi-colored hair after every show. When I woke up from the anesthesia after some procedure, the first words I said were, “Mom, text Greene”. That summer, I played Penny in a community production of Hairspray that Greene was doing tech for. She continued to look out for me, giving me ad-vice when the director was busy, laughing extremely loudly during my comedic lines, and comforting me when I became sick again. Greene knows exactly how to make me smile, and she cheered me up during that overwhelming experience. When I announced that I intended to pursue a career in musical theatre, Greene got down to business immediately. I think she pushed college on me more than my Mom did. Greene recommended songs and monologues for my auditions, worked with me until they were solid, and even picked out my outfit and hairstyle. She taught me proper audition etiquette that made me appear much more professional than many of the other students. When I was accepted into Sam Houston’s musical theatre program, she seemed almost more excited than I was. Deciding to become a performer was the scariest decision I have ever made. It was only possible because from the moment I began to sing in that first audition, someone has fought for me, has treated me like I am worth it, and has molded the wings that I will use to reach my dream. That someone is Michelle Greene. Not only did she give me the home that I was searching for all freshman year, she gave me the love I needed to carry that home with me wherever I choose to go. For the rest of my life, I will remember what Greene has taught me, anything’s possible.

Community Service: Junior High United Methodist Mission Project, United Method-ist Action Reach out Mission by Youth, Christ United Methodist Church Choir Tour (performances at nursing homes), Dance performances at Crestview Leadership positions: Students Against Drunk Driving, Chaplain of Christ United Methodist Church Youth Council, Small Group Leader in Suzanne’s School of Dance Company AbunDance Extra-curricular activities: Suzanne’s School of Dance Company AbunDance, Christ United Methodist Church Youth Band, Christ United Methodist Church Youth Choir, Tiger Theatre, UIL One Act Play Competition, Voice Lessons with Molly Gasbarinni’s Vocal Studio Plans after high school: I am attending Sam Houston State University to receive a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre

Paige Blomstedthonoring Travis Angel

Travis Angel is the epitome of consistency. Whether it is the first day of school or the middle of January amidst the mad-ness of musical season and three hours of sleep a night - Mr. Angel’s daily attitude, outlook, and expectations of his stu-dents remain unchanged. His stability is also exemplified in his steady patience with every individual; he is truly quick

to listen and slow to become angry (no matter how repetitive and ridiculous some people’s questions are). He does not show favoritism, yet still manages to make each student feel that he/she is special and important to him - a trait that I greatly admire. However, the ultimate example of his dependability has been in my own life: Mr. Angel has consistently treated me with fa-therly love and care. I have had Mr. Angel for four years and for the last two, multiple class periods a day - something I cannot say about any other teacher. He’s been there through my various haircuts, the braces stage, and years of my voice growing and maturing. His office is a place I feel welcome to eat my lunch in (every day of junior year), take a nap in (senior year) and go to just to talk with him. In times of sadness and times of pain, Mr. Angel has been a rock to which I can cling. When Ted Cross accidently jammed the band hall door into my foot, Mr. Angel immediately got a rolling chair and paper towels, wheeled me to the nurse’s room, and carried me into my mom’s car. He even offered to take out the five stitches afterwards; if that isn’t love, I don’t know what is. He has touched my life with his soft spoken, sincere words of affirmation and tangibly with his warm embraces. From Florida and San Antonio to Layne’s for lunch every Friday, the quality times I’ve spent with Mr. Angel out-side of school have become some of my favorite high school memories. He’s even invited the choir kids into his own home for Superbowl parties - a gesture that speaks of his genuine compassion. Over the past four years, something that has stood out to me about Mr. Angel is his drive to get the job done right. He has demanded excellence from each of us in the classroom, but he carries this theme outside of school as well. During set work for Bye Bye Birdie, our task was to build ten sets of two-step stairs. Mr. Angel completed the first set for us with precision and diligence, and while doing so, communicated step by step how to du-plicate this task on our own. This illustrates the perfect combination of his natural gift of teaching and his fatherly guidance. He pushed me when he knew I could improve. He brought out my absolute best. He gave me a chance not because I impressed him, but because he believed in my potential from the start. In staying consistent, Mr. Angel changed my life.

Community Service: Symphony Belles- community service organization, usher for the local symphony performances; National Honor SocietyLeadership positions: Parliamentarian for Student Council Extra-curricular activities: Choir; Vocal Ensemble; Theatre; Student Council; Young Life; Grace Bible Church Youth Group Plans after high school: Study business at the University of Texas

Kyle Campbellhonoring Jessica Kouba

My very first encounter with Mrs. Kouba occurred during the second semester of my freshmen year at A&M Consolidated High School after being abruptly transferred into her World History class. As I cautiously ambled into her classroom, I recognized her face, and realized one very important thing. This woman was the teacher who handed out fill-in-the-

blank notes. A fact I was ecstatic to discover as I would no longer have to fret about crippling cramps from long hours of note-taking or a graphite stained palm, one of the many perils of being left-handed. However, after many days of gleefully filling in blanks, I began to realize that Mrs. Kouba’s wonderful qualities stretched well beyond the realm of note-taking. Whether by fate or by chance, I soon realized I had stumbled upon a rare anomaly in the world of education. The unique combination of intense passion, unfaltering patience, and charismatic joy that Mrs. Kouba displayed while teaching all but shackled me to her desk, as her class slowly became a haven that I anticipated every single day. In fact, I became so attached that I continued to visit Mrs. Kouba, every single day of my sophomore year. While her name was nowhere on my schedule, I continued to learn from Mrs. Kouba during every encounter. She taught me how to exist in the difficult world of high school, and without her guid-ance I would have been hopelessly and unfortunately lost. Mrs. Kouba became more than simply a teacher to me. She was my guide, my counselor, someone who listened to my incessant complaints and problems without a hint of annoyance or superior-ity. She had become more than a teacher of World History, but she never stopped educating me even when I completed her class. To Mrs. Kouba’s students, she could very well be one of the Greek Goddesses she teaches about. One cannot help but want to learn in her class, because no matter the subject, her passion for teaching seeps out through her words and touches ev-ery mind in the room. Mrs. Kouba manages to create a magical space, where learning suddenly becomes cool, effort the new norm, and failure a nonexistent option, because the notion of disappointing the woman who wants you to succeed so badly is nearly heartbreaking. It is for these reasons that when a seventeen year old boy made a series of bad decisions and lost many of his friends, he knew one person who would always listen to him, and one door that would always be open, no matter what mistakes he made. As always, Mrs. Kouba used her gift of educating to teach him how to face his problems, and become a man. Mrs. Kouba taught me some of the most important life lessons I have ever learned. She has an astounding gift, and she is truly an amazing educator. I will forever be a better person because of Mrs. Kouba, my teacher, my confidante, my counselor, and my friend.

Community Service: UM ARMY Mission Work, JUMMP Mission Work, The Mission Society International Mission Work, Meals on Wheels Volunteer Leadership positions: Student Council Student Attitude Committee Head and Student Body Treasurer, Gay Straight Alliance Vice President, Junior Class Vice President Extra-curricular activities: Student Council, Gay Straight Alliance, Theatre, Debate, Invisible Children, Interfaith, Track & Field, UIL Math Plans after high school: Attend University of Texas majoring in business honors and finance

Alex Carstenshonoring Mike Williams

Mark Twain once said, “A person who won’t read has no advantage over one who can’t read.” This is an ironic way to start this off for two reasons: Mr. Williams’s appreciation (obsession?) with Mark Twain, and because many of the papers I submitted in his class began with a quote. It is appropriate however, for I feel that it sums up the idea of his

class. This concept of reading was reiterated through his words as well as his actions and demeanor. The many hours spent in classroom discussions of every paragraph of every novel did nothing but confirm it – Mr. Williams feels that understanding literature (not just reading it) is actually important. By the end of the year, his students agree. The first things you notice when entering Mr. Williams’ classroom are the...decorations. The room is dominated by movie posters, action figures, books, pictures of books, quotes, and the student-made ceiling tiles, which adorn the ceiling of the room. It was monumentally distracting ini-tially, particularly during timed writings, when I would catch myself staring at and struggling to interpret a past student’s ceiling tile rather than contemplating the introduction of my paper. Eventually I adjusted to the unique décor and came to realize that if anything, it serves to make the room a more comfortable place. The most memorable things from English for me were the novel discussions. We read many different books in that class, and none of them went without weeks of conversation, interpretation, and evaluation. I still remember talking about “the turtle chapter” (a multi-page chapter about a turtle crossing a road) during The Grapes of Wrath, the symbolism of The Great Gatsby, the final line of Invisible Man, and many other topics which I still remember having been surprised by. Between the timed writings, late night essays, and the countless hours of reading, my English class taught me things that were not on the AP curriculum. Another Twain quote (Mr. Williams provided us with a new one on the board every day) says not to “let your schooling interfere with your education.” Mr. Williams, thank you for follow-ing this to the letter, seeing to it that no one left your class “uneducated”, and not only about English language and composition.

Community Service: Habitat for Humanity, donated blood at school and church, played in a string quartet at Carriage Inn Retirement Community, Brazos Valley Food Bank, helped youth group paint houses (three times) Leadership positions: Along with other senior guys at church, started a weekly middle school Bible study, led every week. Help with after school tutoring programs, have taught classes at church.Extra-curricular activities: AMCHS Swim Team, attended regional swim meet; piano lessons for ten years; AMCHS Orchestra (viola), played in regional orchestra; Business Professionals of America, state competition, National Merit Finalist; church youth group. Plans after high school: Attend Abilene Christian University

Zach Carstenshonoring Beth Creel

Community Service: Played in a string quartet at weddings and nursing homes, Habitat for Humanity, Brazos Valley Food Bank Leadership positions: Taught church classes on Sunday mornings, helped in an after school tutoring program Extra-curricular activities: Male Lead Role in school musical, member of the Varsity Swim Team, cellist in orchestra, UIL One-Act Play Plans after high school: To attend Abilene Christian University

Mrs. Creel always tells us how important it is to establish and develop character, but with so much to say about such an incredible person with so few words, I just don’t have time for back story. If someone really wanted to get to know Mrs. Creel though, the best way to learn about her (other than just introducing yourself; she’s very friendly) would be to look at her

students. A true measure of someone’s greatness can be attained by looking at those they interact with, and Mrs. Creel’s Theatre students are a perfect example of her powerful and positive influence: across the board, students who spend time with Mrs. Creel gradually adopt her traits and qualities. Some are silly mannerisms, like her frantic gestures and spluttering when she gets a great idea, but most are deeper, more subconscious character traits: her universal respect, her ability to laugh at – and diffuse – even the most stressful situations, her pride in a job well done, her calm determination to succeed, her unshakable confidence in herself and in us. However, if Mrs. Creel’s unspoken lessons are so impactful and effective, her intentional lessons are even more so. Not only does she have to deal with academic teaching, Mrs. Creel teaches students acting: how to speak, walk, stand, and converse in a way that is, amazingly, both well-rehearsed and unpredictable, memorized yet original. She taught me how to plant my feet, stand up straight, and draw in an audience with my words. She taught me how to fill a room with my voice, and she helped to make mine a voice worth hearing. When Mrs. Creel is involved with a production, it generally becomes focused on two parts: engaging the audience, and engaging the cast. What amazed me most as I got more involved with Theatre, however, is that she seems to accomplish the first goal by focusing on the second. By challenging her students to look inside themselves for deeper emotions and more vivid and real-istic portrayals of their characters, Mrs. Creel guarantees that the audience will become engaged and will understand the production and the realities conveyed. While Mrs. Creel’s productions are guaranteed to feature a collaboration of lights, sounds and sets that far exceed the expectations associated with high school theatre, her true artistic genius is revealed in that they are always far more than the sum of their parts. Theatre captures and reveals the often-overlooked realities of life, and Mrs. Creel is never satisfied with a production until she is convinced that the audience will experience the show rather than watch it, and that those realities will be unmasked before them. Mrs. Creel taught me the inherent value in each word and gesture, and the potential for communication of ideas and emotions through every medium. She convinced me that I have something worth showing to the world, and she taught me how to show it. By believing in me and through her willingness to rely on me to accomplish goals even I didn’t think I could accom-plish, Mrs. Creel set herself apart as a rare and outstanding teacher, a valuable friend, and a capable and caring director – of the stage, and of lives.

Alex Carusohonoring Richard German

I am honored to be inducted into the Class of 2012 Hall of Fame and feel blessed to be one of the students to receive this recognition. There is a man I was lucky enough to come in contact with over the last two years of high school who has been a big influence on me. This person is Mr. Rick German, more commonly known as Coach German. This man took on

a struggling basketball program and transformed more than just the team’s record. Coach German is a winner and he shares that with his players. His ‘Facts of Life’ for the players is a list of attitude and athletic guidelines. One rule that struck some of the players first is the dress-for-success rule. We agree to dress for success and look presentable as one unit for our team and our school. We grew fond of this rule and every member of our team threw on their nicest pair of slacks, collared shirt, and tie for game day. All around school people were talking about the team and game that night; and many of them showed up to watch us re-take the district lead against Harker Heights. This rule is an example of how we became unified as a team, which led to success. Coach German’s guidance on and off the court has made an impact. He did many things like organizing t-shirt sales and a summer tournament to create interest in Consol basketball. He is not just interested in making a team better, but much of what he says and does highlights his attitude of helping players succeed as a person and player. I know Coach German would try to give me most of the credit for where I am today, but that would simply not be true. Yes, I worked hard and analyzed what was being taught, but nothing compares to his example. Two things I really focused on and that Coach also preached about were passion and that leader’s lead. Passion is what differentiates the good from the great, no matter the circumstances. Whether learning piano, practicing for a game, or writing a paper, you must have passion and desire to do your best. If you have a passion for what you are doing, success will find you eventually. The phrase, leaders lead, sounds simple. Unfortunately it’s not that easy, if it was, everybody would be a leader. You have to incorporate being a teacher, being selfless, working hard, and being a role model. I’ve had my share of rough moments learning to be a leader. Coach German helped me learn to keep the passion, but better control the emotions so I could be a leader. I didn’t choose Coach German as my edu-cator because he is my basketball coach. I chose him because he is someone I would want my son or daughter to be like and he is someone I can always rely on. Coach German shows how to put others before himself and is a true role model of how to do what’s right. He is a leader who takes his passion and shares it with the world.

Community Service: St. Thomas Aquinas- Altar server, church festivals, and church/community service projects; AAU - D1 Ambassadors Com-munity Service Outreach: Santa Rosa Hospital and Lincoln Recreation Center Leadership positions: Junior and Senior Varsity Basketball Captain Extra-curricular activities: Two years Varsity Track and Field; Four years Varsity Basketball; Three years AAU Basketball; St. Thomas Aquinas Youth; Lincoln Center Basketball League; Texas A&M Recreational Sports employmentPlans after high school: To attend Texas A&M University; major in sports management, and play basketball for the Texas A&M Aggies, and beyond

Alexa Cepedahonoring Cynthia Stephens

Two of my favorite words in the English language are “gracious” and “obnoxious.” I was taught these two words by my 3rd grade teacher, Ms. Cynthia Stephens. She told us we had a choice in our actions. We could either be gracious or obnoxious. The latter of the two is more fun to say, but the first is kinder to the ears and rightly so. There have been

numerous moments throughout my education where I have been faced with the choice of being kind and gracious, or passive and ignorant. It is during these moments in which I flashback to the colorful classroom and safe atmosphere that was my 3rd grade experience. I remember Ms. Stephens telling us a story of an old lady who was in need of a jacket since it was a freezing cold night, and a young man who generously gave her his jacket. I remember being curled up in my blue plastic chair, a long braid down my back and my heart warm with hope. I wanted to be a gracious person. Ms. Stephens made me feel alive and full of spunk and spirit. I could not wait to go to school. My favorite time of the day was just after lunch, when Ms. Stephens would bring characters alive through whatever story we were reading that week. Time would stand still with the laughter or the abundance of imagination filling every corner of that room. Our tummies were full, our teacher was SO cool, and life couldn’t be any sweeter. When life gets rough I close my eyes and return to that year in which my teacher instilled love and support in each of our lives. Ms. Stephens taught me the value of standing up for myself, and believing in myself and my peers. It was her courageous strength and unwavering energy that has endlessly inspired me to wake up every day and choose to be happy and reach out to others. It was Ms. Stephens who first taught me acceptance, for she embraced every day and each of her students with as much love as the hugs we received upon entering and leaving the classroom. It was a year in which I wanted to grow up and be just like my teacher. Throughout the years I’ve run into Ms. Stephens while we’re both out on walks through the neighborhood. Each encounter is filled with general updates on each other’s lives, and every time I walk away feeling lighthearted and full of appreciation. It is a blessing to know that an impactful influence from your childhood continues to support your decisions and cares about your family. Thank you, Ms. Stephens. Thank you so much for bringing light and enthu-siasm into my life so early on, and continuing to move forward with each coming day. I wish you all the love and happiness in the world, and will do my best to continue your legacy of smiles and incredible storytelling.

Community Service: Performer at Benefit Concerts, including Invisible Children, 9/11 Commemoration and Jam for Japan Relief Concert. Leadership positions: President of Gay Straight Alliance; Vice President of Thespian Troupe 919 Extra-curricular activities: National Honor Society, Varsity Orchestra, Mariachi, Theatre Plans after high school:**subject to change**Attend Ithaca College & earn a B.F.A in Musical Theatre

Abbie Craigenhonoring Van Henry

Walking into my first day of summer band my freshmen year, I was more excited to spend a Texas August day out on a boiling parking lot than a normal person should be. I was happy to see my friends, meet the ultra cool upper-classmen and be initiated into the Tiger Band Family. All was going well in the first week and the second, until we

started working on our drill for our marching show. People were running around, acting silly, switching instruments and throw-ing water on each other when, it happened. Out of the loudspeakers placed around the parking lot, screamed the words from the very angry man up on the director tower, “Ladies and gentlemen! We are here to practice for the show we have to perform in a week! Now stop goofing around and let’s get work done! You all are ten times better than this, so act like it! Good golly folks.” Those words sent a shiver up my spine. Never had I ever had a teacher or even a coach speak so strongly to a group of students. It took some getting used to but I started to actually listen to Mr. Henry when he got onto the band whenever we messed up. I realized that Mr. Henry cared for our rag-tag group of kids more than anything in the world. He saw all of our potential and refused to let us do anything less than what was our absolute best. Through good rehearsals and rougher ones, Mr. Henry pushed us to what he knew we could do and what we thought was downright impossible. But it wasn’t just the band as a group, he knew each individual by name and what was going on in their life. He knew the story behind every marcher’s knee brace or ice pack, and would make the best effort for people on athletic and academic teams to be able to go to their other practices. When I became drum major my junior year, Mr. Henry pushed me at every practice to be better at something. And after three years he knew my self-critical nature and made it a point to tell me when I was doing a good job. The com-ments about my need to cut down on caffeinated coffee, the quick nods and the sometimes evil wizard laugh that escaped our grumpy ol’ band director, continually pushed me to be a better leader for our band. Looking back on my high school career I know that without the interest Mr. Henry took in the band and myself that I would never be able to be the leader that I am today. While it may have scared me when I was a freshman, I hope that one day I have half the amount of passion for teaching and encouraging others that Mr. Henry has and be able to inspire at least one person as he inspired me.

Community Service: Symphony BellesLeadership positions: National Honor Society, Secretary; Tiger Band, Head Drum Major, Drum Major (junior year); Freshmen STUCO, Co-President; Band Vice President (sophomore year)Extra-curricular activities: National Honor Society, Debate Team, UIL All Region Band, UIL Solo & EnsemblePlans after high school: Attend Texas A&M Galveston and the Texas Maritime Academy to major in marine biology

Patrick Cunhahonoring Michael Skinner

Coaches are stereotyped as yellers, “encouragers,” and motivators. Coaches are depicted in movies as red faced and tough as nails, willing to go to any length to push their athletes to the limit; on a never-ending eternal search for perfec-tion. Coach Skinner is all of this, minus the yelling, minus the red face, minus the insane Captain Ahab-esque look that

coaches are known for. I never was one to learn from yelling. I don’t believe that desire, or success can be yelled into some-one. I don’t think desire will surface, no matter how many push-ups the athletes are forced to do for performing poorly. Neither does Coach Skinner. I have learned to greatly appreciate the direction and advice Coach, a man of few words, offers. The advice we hear from Coach can also be applied in our lives outside of track. Two such bits of advice that I will never forget carry a very similar life lesson. Both pieces of advice are responses to the oft heard complaint, “but Coach it’s raining!” The first, and my personal favorite is, “Men, there’s only two good times to run, when it’s raining and when it’s not.” Now the tricky part about this piece of advice is that it happens to apply to all types of weather: snow, sleet, hail, and tornadoes all fall under the “not rain” category. No matter what type of weather is happening outside, the only way to get through it is to run. The life application to be pulled from this bit of wisdom is obvious. Life is hard sometimes, sometimes it’s not. Often we are graced with happy days, seeing great friends everyday and living with a positive attitude. Other times though, life throws you a curve ball, an unexpected unhappy twist. No matter which kind of day it is, the only way to get through it is to keep on living. Another great piece of advice that Coach often shares with us is, “good thing we have an all weather track!” This piece of advice is followed by groaning and many complaints because it usually means we are in for a wet, cold, and miserable run. The life application is not too different from the first. We may chance upon some unhappy times, but we are humans, and we have the ability to endure. Every morning at 6:45 I attend a Bible study class at my church. My freshmen year I really wanted to be on the cross country team which also meets every morning at 6:45. I nervously approached Coach Skinner with my predica-ment, expecting to be pressured into choosing one over the other. Instead of meeting unwanted pressures, Coach graciously suggested that I run with the team in the afternoons and if I had enough talent I could attend the meets with the team. I really enjoyed that year with the Cross country team and have had an ever growing respect for Coach Skinner and all he does for me and the school.

Community Service: Rebuilt Athletic shed for SFA Middle School; Children’s Museum Summer Program; Citizens Fire Academy Leadership positions: Eagle Scout; Church Youth Leader; BSA Merit Badge Instructor Extra-curricular activities: Track team; Band 1 year; French club 1 year; Vice-President Beat Box Club Plans after high school: I plan on serving a two-year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. After that I plan on attending Fire School

Aparna Dattahonoring Aaron Hogan

That’s why you don’t take cookies out of the cookie jar.” What on earth could this statement mean? Well, one can interpret it as holding some philosophical meaning pertaining to life, or one may decide that this saying actually has no signifi-cance at all. The thing is, we’ll never actually know what the speaker was trying to say because he chose to leave it to

our interpretation. Goodness, if it were a few years ago, I wouldn’t be able to handle not knowing exactly what some saying or some piece of literature meant. I would absolutely have to know the right meaning because in my 14 year old mind, an answer was right or wrong - there was no in-between. The idea that there could be more than one right answer to anything didn’t even cross my mind until I became a student of Mr. Aaron Hogan. Within the first few days of my English III AP class, he explained how literature is open to different interpretations. It turns out that each time we read a passage from a novel, we can find new symbols and ideas that didn’t catch our eye the first time. Now, I realize that this is something that is taught in essentially all English curriculum, but after taking his class, Mr. Hogan somehow made me realize that in life, there isn’t always going to be one right answer. The ability to be an open-minded person and to be welcoming of other’s opinions is a trait that I strive for, and it is because of Mr. Hogan’s teachings that I desire to have such qualities. However cliché it may sound, I must say that as I began writing this essay, no words came to mind that would truly justify his greatness. Quite frankly, he is awesome. His sincere pas-sion for the novels he taught instigated a desire to learn within his students. Although I didn’t always have a liking for certain novels (which I made very clear ), Mr. Hogan was able to open my eyes to the significance of each text and how the underly-ing themes of these novels are more prevalent in my life than I would have ever thought. Even though I couldn’t stand it then, I truly appreciate the fact that if I had a question about what the “right” meaning of some piece of literature was, he would never give me a straight answer. Of course, I initially thought he wouldn’t answer because he was just giving me a hard time, but really he was prompting me to think beyond my limited horizons and realize that there is not always a “right” and a “wrong.” Mr. Hogan’s teachings not only contributed to my academic career but also influenced my perception of life. Now, I am somewhat at peace knowing that there isn’t always going to be a “right” answer or a “right” meaning, but I’m always going to wonder what Mr. Hogan meant when he would say “that’s why you don’t take cookies out of the cookie jar.”

Community Service: Volunteer at Brazos Valley Food Bank; Volunteer at St. Joseph Hospital Leadership positions: Vice President of Interfaith Extra-curricular activities: Member of National Honor Society, Tiger Theatre Plans after high school: Attend University of Texas at Austin

Alina Dattaguptahonoring Kristen Jones

When I first walked into Mrs. Jones’s class or Jonesy as I fondly call her, I felt nervous and intimidated. I was not sure how I would do or if I even had the capacity to remotely understand the subject by the time AP Test would come along. Long story short, I lacked self-confidence and was extremely overwhelmed by the fresh burden of junior

year. I guess it was fate that landed me in Jonesy’s class. I feel like I was meant to have her influence sometime in my high school career. She transformed me in a way that I would have never imagined. “6.626x10 to the negative 34 Joules Second!” I still remember chanting this over and over again in my AP Chemistry class. I will never forget that year, filled with creative pneumonics and clever chants. Jonesy’s unconventional method of telling us stories and coming up with chants always helped me understand and remember different topics and made them stay with me. Even to this day, months after the AP Test, I am able to recall the toughest of the chapters that she taught us. Never have I ever felt the need to make a teacher proud as much as I have for Mrs. Jones. If I ever did poorly on a test, I felt dejected and thought that I had let her down. Because of her, I felt driven to strive for excellence. She believed in me even when the odds were against me. She taught me that mistakes were a stepping stone towards learning. Because of Mrs. Jones, I feel confident in my abilities. She helped me build my self-esteem throughout the year and made me realize that chemistry is my favorite subject. Her unmatched dedication always surprised me. She would stay at school, long after all the teachers had left, to help students with an afterschool activity or to administer tutoring sessions. She always encouraged us to get involved in science-related activities. She saw true potential in each one of us and would urge us to apply our knowledge. Quite honestly, I feel that Mrs. Jones is the mother of Chemistry. Even now, after retiring, she continues to lecture at different high schools and universities. She is just as busy as before and still remains the woman that I look up to. Mrs. Jones was always someone whom I can confide in and who would always reassure me that everything would work out in the end. She has always believed in me and she gave me confidence when I had no faith in myself. Jonesy has always extended her support to me and has helped me achieve admission into my dream school. Today, I feel proud acknowledging how much Mrs. Jones has contributed towards my love for chemistry and my desire in pursuing a degree in Chemical Engineering. Because of her, I have learned to believe in myself and my abilities. Because of her, I feel I am ready to face the future.

Community Service: Child Rights and You, America (CRY, America): raised money for underprivileged children in India; Davita Dialysis, College Sta-tion: volunteer at the dialysis center; Hindu Student Youth Group, Executive member: organized the first annual Lock-In, and various fundraisers such as Family Game Nights. Leadership positions: Senior Class President; Managing Editor of the Roar Newspaper; Superintendent’s Cabinet Extra-curricular activities: Quill and Scroll International Honor Society; UIL Journalism; The Roar Newspaper; National Honor Society Plans after high school: I plan to major in chemical engineering at Rice University with a long term goal of a career in medicine

Abigayle Englishhonoring Stacey English

When I look back at my relationship with Coach English I think of her as my teacher, my coach, my friend, but most importantly as my second mom. Initially, this is my first thought because I cannot even recall the number of times I accidently called her mom in class. Secondly, because most people actually thought she was my mom and we had

fun playing along with it. And most importantly, I remember her as a mother because of how supportive and helpful she was to me in middle school. Being a hormonal, dramatic “tween” trying to survive the pressures of middle school proved to be a very difficult time in my life and most days I just needed a little boost to keep going. Whether my calculator was repeatedly giving me weird #ERROR messages in Algebra or I could not seem to get my serves over the net, Coach English would be there without fail, encouraging me to not give up. Being on the volleyball team was no simple task for a 4’9” seventh grader still struggling to lift the 45 lb bar in the weight room. Unlike others, Coach English never thought twice about me being on the team which taught me not to judge a person by their appearance. Yet Coach English was by no means a softy and did not consider my delayed growth spurts an excuse. It was her encouragement to perform my best, no matter the circumstances, that developed the work ethic I have today. Not only did she teach me how to master a calculator (including Block Dude) and how to run suicides in under one minute and seventeen seconds, but she also taught me life skills that I still live by in the present day. She was an incredible role model for me and just the perfect person I needed to be surrounded by during those years of development. I still can remember the day that she let me eat lunch in her room because of the “life-ending” break up I had that day. Coach English patiently sat there and sympathized with me as I cried and ate tacos. I cannot think of anyone who could have given me better advice than she did that day when she said, “God has a plan for all of this, all we have to do is follow His instructions.” Coach English’s words were heartening and restored my trust in God and his plan. She was a role model and mother figure in my life that taught me about striving to be the best person I can be and living for the Lord. She played such a huge role in my life that I have decided to also go into coaching and teaching and I can only hope that when I get into that posi-tion that I will be able to be second mom to other girls, just as Coach English has demonstrated. So “mom,” for your influence, patience, wisdom and unconditional compassion, I thank you.

Community Service: Student Council Events, Symphony Belles, Volunteer Intern at Central Baptist Church Leadership positions: Student Council committee head Extra-curricular activities: Student Council, The Roar Newspaper, Tiger-land Yearbook staff, National Honor Society, Young Life, Tiger Cheerlead-ing, School Bowling Team, Tigers Mentoring the Next Tigers program Plans after high school: After High School I plan to attend Texas A&M University to major in elementary education. After College I look forward to becoming either a 4th grade teacher, P.E. coach, or Children’s Minister

Kelsey Gaineshonoring Steven Day

There are always options when carrying out a role in life. One can choose to do as one is instructed, accomplishing the bare minimum but still achieving the purpose assigned. Or, one can choose to do more and be more, not for themselves but for the betterment of others. As my U.S. History teacher in the eighth grade, Steve Day did more than teach what he

was responsible for; he was intentional and he was invested in his purpose as an educator. Coach Day took the time to not only teach, but to know and communicate with his students as well. Most importantly, he let us get to know him, opening up a true relationship between himself and his students, a key element that so many educators overlook. By talking and telling en-tertaining stories when applicable to the lesson and sometimes when not, he created a mood in the classroom that was relaxed and enjoyable. This made history one of my, and many others, favorite parts of the day. He respected us as individuals so in return we respected him. Last year Coach Day moved from CSMS to Consol. Even though most don’t know him by name, students recognize him as the teacher who stands outside his door smiling and greeting students as they pass by his classroom. A smile and a ‘hello’ may not seem like much, but for some it’s the only genuine smile they may get all day. There have been many times this past year when I was lacking positivity and motivation in my day and was bogged down by what I had to get done. However, it never failed that every time I passed Coach Day in the hallway that when he smiled and told me good morning, my mood was instantly improved and kept me positive throughout the rest of my day. By being intentional he always reminded me of what I am called to do and of the importance of being someone who takes time to pay attention to the needs of others. He proved to me the power of actions over words. Through a passion for his job, and a very obvious heart for his students, Coach Day stood above as an extremely influential teacher not only when I was in his class, but years after. Coach Day was determined for all of his students, whoever they were and whatever their story, to succeed not only in the classroom, but in life as well. He reminds me to this day by his simple actions that taking time to be invested in others’ lives is truly one of the most important aspects of being not just a good teacher, but a good person, a lesson that has gone well beyond the class-room.

Community Service: Mission trip to Peru, UM ARMY Mission tripsLeadership Positions: CUMC Youth Council President; Assistant News Editor for The RoarExtra-curricular activities: CUMC Youth Group; CUMC Youth Band; Student Council; Young Life; CUMC Youth Choir; The Roar Newspaper; CUMC Youth CouncilPlans after high school: Texas A&M University

Eric Ganhonoring Karen Swann

I have always said that God and my parents have shaped me into the person I am today. However, after my journey through A&M Consolidated, I can now honestly and whole-heartedly add Ms. Swann to that list. I have had Ms. Swann as a teacher for two years now and have cherished every second of it. She is a fantastic teacher who has blossomed my interest in the

field of mathematics; however, she has done so much more for me than simply teach me how to find a derivative. Throughout these past few years, my relationship with Ms. Swann has positively impacted my life and altered my perspective on how I look at the world. This was especially true when I lacerated my kidney in a football game earlier this year, reaching one of the greatest lows in my life. Everything I had worked for, sacrificing time with my friends and family to balance football and my rigorous schedule of AP classes, seemed to go down the drain. I was inundated with depression; yet, the very first time I saw Ms. Swann after my injury, I realized how selfish I was being. Ever since I have known Ms. Swann I have known she has been sick, but I have never been able to tell. Not once have I walked into her class and not seen a smile on her face, eager to help her students progress in their education. Even on the days when I could tell she was not feeling well, she still gave her all to her class, courageously fighting so that every one of us in that classroom could better ourselves for the future. So, as I began to feel sorry for myself, saying it was unfair that I had to miss my senior football season, I realized how unfair it was that Ms. Swann had this illness. However, she never complained and never let it affect her attitude. Ms. Swann showed me that there will be bumps in the road, but she also taught me that I could either let these obstacles manipulate me into something I never wanted to be, or overcome these obstacles and live life to the fullest. Now, as I move on to the next chapter in my life, I know I will miss smack talking with Ms. Swann about our beloved football teams (although there is not much trash talking needed as Auburn will always be better than Mississippi State), hearing her tales of living in Africa, and laughing at her sly, sarcastic jokes. Yet, I also realize that everything Ms. Swann taught me from the classroom to the life lessons will be with me for the rest of my life. She taught me to never get down on myself, persevere through my problems, and continue to fight with a smile on my face. Thus, Ms. Swann was not just my teacher, but also a friend and a role-model, a person whose impact on my life I will never forget.

Community Service: Youth United for Humanity; Church Youth group; Peer Tutoring; Texas A&M University Football Event Staff; Tiny Tim Christmas CarolingLeadership positions: Junior Leadership Brazos; National Merit Com-mended ScholarExtra-curricular activities: Varsity Football, Student Council, Business Professionals of America, NSF Summer Mathematics Research Training (SMaRT), TAMU Electrical & Computer Engineering Summer Camp, Harvard Football Camp, UT McCombs Future Executive Academy, TAMU Business Careers Awareness ProgramPlans after high school: MIT - Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Alison Garlickhonoring Julie Foght

Walking into Brazos Valley Gymnastics as a timid eight year old, I was greeted by two smiling coaches who read-ily welcomed me into their gymnastics family. Coach Julie and Jim never doubted me or my capabilities as I spent countless hours developing physically, mentally, and emotionally in the gym. I never would have become the

gymnast or person I am today if it were not for the time spent there, and especially with my coach, Coach Julie. She taught me not only to work hard with a positive attitude, but how to have complete trust in myself and others and to overcome my fears with confidence. She always supported and encouraged me, saying things such as, “You fell off the horse now you need to get back on. You can do it, I got you, It’s like riding a bike.” Coach Jim was also motivating, repetitively saying, “If you’re going to be a bear, be a grizzly bear.” I could not help but push myself to the limit when I was nervous to do difficult skills after hearing these motivating words. At the Level 6 Texas State meet when I was 12, I had one more vault to go when Coach Julie told me, “Alison, you have nothing to lose, so go big.” Those were the exact words I needed to hear in order to execute an exceptional vault, resulting in the gold medal. Attending more than 60 USAG and High School meets in my life with Coach Julie, she truly has been a strong support for me during my most nerve racking moments. In addition to the daily workouts and weekend meets, we have had many enjoyable times together. The yearly ice cream and pool parties and doing backflips in Chicken Oil to get a free shake will always have a special place in my heart. Most importantly, Coach Julie had an endless impact on me, by comforting and motivating me during my greatest times of need. Anytime I fell hard, landed wrong, or got hurt in anyway, which probably occurred more than you think possible, she or Coach Jim were always the first ones there to help. When I was thirteen the wind was completely knocked out of me after falling hard off bars and all I could do was lie in pain and with panic, mouth the words, “I can’t breathe.” As soon as Coach Julie told me it would be okay and to take deep breaths, I eventually did and knew her calming words gave me peace. Having Coach Julie and Jim close by during these times of heartache, pain, sur-geries, and also first place medals and state championships strengthened my relationship with them knowing they will always be there for me. Now, leaving the gym as a confident adult after spending more than half my life there, I owe much gratitude to Coach Julie for permanently influencing the person I have become and providing me with lessons and memories that will stay with me forever.

Community Service: Tigers Mentoring the Next Tigers, Church Youth Group, National Honor Society, Interact Leadership positions: Tiger Gymnastics Co-Captain, Tigerland Yearbook Editor-in-Chief Extra-curricular activities: Gymnastics, Yearbook, Piano Plans after high school: Attend Brigham Young University and major in exercise and wellness

Jenna Helduserhonoring Chris Diem

I first met Mr. Diem about halfway through my sophomore year at Consol; he was still the super hilarious, outgoing, and awe-some geography teacher that I heard my friends talk about but had never actually met myself. I never thought that the impact he would have on my life would be so great. When his wonderful wife, Mrs. Diem, began getting involved with the Bengal

Belles naturally Mr. Diem, or Tophems as I like to call him, tagged along and we bonded over football... imagine that. Even from a distance Mr. Diem was always there for me, supporting me and helping me through the most difficult time of my life. When he became an Assistant Principal and Mrs. Diem became the Bengal Belle’s Assistant Director my junior year, I got to know Mr. Diem even better. His hysterical jokes and high fives that literally almost broke my hand because of his gigantic Aggie ring never ceased to make my day and it was so obvious to me how passionate he was about not only being a great administrator, but a great man. His character and ability to make others feel welcome while still expecting respect is something that never went unnoticed by a single student at Consol. From crazy indoor baseball games to taking time out of his busy schedule in Belton to dance with me at halftime of a football game this year, Mr. Diem has provided me with a steadfast support system that I know will always continue. He is a true man of character who shows his faith in the Lord every single day through his actions as an adult, a teacher, a father, and a friend. Through his hardships he has been the strength for others which is something that cannot be said about many people. I can honestly say that I have never met someone more willing to be there for his students, family, and friends more than Chris Diem. He has the ability to impact those who have never even spoken with him through his kind spirit and service to others. Mr. Diem is constantly putting others in front of himself, which is something that many of us could not honestly say about ourselves. I am so thankful that God wanted me to meet the Diem family, and I could not imagine my life without their strength and guidance. I am so excited to be able to honor Mr. Chris Diem. Diem, I think I speak for every senior in here when I say that you were our favorite AP ever :)

Community Service: Youth Impact; Relay For Life; Brazos Valley Sym-phony- ushering concerts/public events; KBTX Food For Families Food Drive; Special Olympics Leadership positions: Captain & Junior Lieutenant of the A&M Consoli-dated Bengal BellesExtra-curricular activities: A&M Consolidated Bengal Belles; Grace Bible Church Youth Group; Centerstage Productions Dance Studio- competitive dance team; Brazos Valley Symphony Belles; National Honor Society Plans after high school: To audition for and hopefully become a world famous Kilgore College Rangerette, attend Kilgore College for two years, then attend the University of Texas at Austin in hopes of becoming a high school drill team director

Jennifer Hoylehonoring Matthew Young

Mr. Young, a great teacher whose commitment to his students never ceases to amaze me. The impact Mr. Young has made on my life in just one year has been so huge. When signing up for classes for my senior year I thought to myself, I like fish, I’m going to take aquatic science; never expecting to learn more than marine life and fish tanks. It turns out

Mr. Young taught me more than just the text, he taught and continues to teach me how important it is to stay committed to your classroom and students. He challenges students academically and provides a rich learning environment. Due to budget cuts it is difficult to maintain a room full of fish and marine life. So, to enrich our learning environment, Mr. Young pays for most of the fish and classroom needs from his own pocket. Not only that, he takes care of the fish when the students are gone for holiday creating a large amount of time spent at the school. Without the ability to do hands on labs, everyday tank data, and even nurs-ing sick or infected tanks back to heath, his class would not be as much fun or educational. I have always wanted to pursue a career in education and Mr. Young has shown me the kind of teacher I want to be. Mr. Young maintains professional environ-ment, yet he is someone who helps his students any time he can. I know that any day I can walk in to his classroom before or after school and he won’t hesitate to take time out of his schedule to help me. Also, knowing that every day I can walk into his class and he will ask me how my day is going and how I am doing, makes my day just a little more sweet. I want to portray that same message when I am a teacher one day, the message that I care. I have had many teachers through my twelve years of schooling and Mr. Young is one that has stood out to me as a leader of education. I am so glad I have been given the opportunity to take his class and broaden my education. To Mr. Young thank you for all you have done to create such a great learning environment and thank you for taking the time to simply ask how my day is going. You have shown me so much and taught me about my future career. I hope you continue to teach future classes to come the same you have taught me and so many others. Once again thank you for your commitment to academic excellence.

Community Service: For the past two years I have been the dance club director for Cypress Grove Intermediate Leadership positions: I am currently the AMCHS Choir president Extra-curricular activities: Bengal Belles, Choir, Christ United Methodist Church Youth Choir, National Honor Society Plans after high school: I plan to major in music education at Texas A&M University and become a high school choir director.

Kent Juliffhonoring Jill Faith

I have known what I have wanted to do with my life since I was 14 years old. Furthermore, I have known that it would not involve science or math. That established, you can understand that going into my junior year, my 7th period chemistry class was not exactly on the top of my priority list. I recall feeling like I was in a classroom filled with a sad group of ragtag kids,

none of whom to which I could particularly relate, and an overzealous teacher with honest but too optimistic expectations for what was going to be a very long school year of staring at motivational posters on the wall across from me and skimming a low A from what I absorbed subconsciously. Now here I am, a year and a half later, on the eve of leaving everything I’ve ever known and I can’t help but think how quickly that year went by, how unpredictably meaningful of a relationship I made, and how I wish I could go back now, just for kicks, to the first day I walked into Mrs. Faith’s classroom. All of the teachers I have had at AMCHS have known their material and most of them have been passionate about it. However, what makes Mrs. Faith such a wonderful educator is that she has an equal if not greater passion for her students to learn. If each of Mrs. Faith’s students cared half as much about their success as she does, they would all be on the honor roll. Mrs. Faith put forth such an effort to keep us involved during class that falling behind wasn’t an option. On the other hand, my motivation to do well in her class didn’t come from a grade point average, class ranking or any real interest in chemistry. It came from the knowledge that Mrs. Faith knew exactly what each of us was capable of and that she was working hard to help us succeed. It’s much easier to not care about your grades if your teacher doesn’t care about your grades, but with Mrs. Faith, that wasn’t an option. Mrs. Faith changed what could have been a low point of the school day, where I would have learned little to nothing, to one of the high points of my education where I learned more than I could have wished. Mrs. Faith taught me to make the best of a situation, that you can find friendship in someone completely different than you, and more than anything that I could learn a lot from a person I was not expecting to learn from. Mrs. Faith’s compassion and genuine caring for her students extends beyond the classroom. It extends to everything the student cares about and everything they are as a person. Mrs. Faith has made a definite impact on my life. I can say with full confidence that I am a better person now than I was walking into her class on the first day of 11th grade.

Community Service: Produced television show for Brazos Valley Chil-dren’s Museum; created promotional video for Education Foundation; volunteered at Relay for Life and Alzheimer’s Memory WalkLeadership positions: Audio Video Production Employment Committee – Head; SkillsUSA - Sergeant at Arms; Student Council – AdvisorExtra-curricular activities: National Honor Society; Student Council; SkillsUSA Plans after high school: University of Texas at Austin major in radio, televi-sion and film

Holland Knapphonoring Freda Carraway

I had just moved to College Station and finally had the chance to play soccer, something I had wanted to do all my life. Dur-ing soccer registration, I noticed a tall blonde woman sorting through paperwork. The mom had a young daughter and son who were patient and polite as they waited. Little did I know these strangers would become like family to me, providing

me with a second home and countless wonderful memories. Ms. Freda, to this day I get goose bumps thinking of how we met. It was no accident, but a blessing in disguise as we were both “new families on the block.” When I think of experiences your family and I have been through together, I can’t help but smile. You helped Tori, Burl, and me create big gingerbread houses, let us construct forts out of umbrellas and allowed us to spend hours playing Nintendo. You also played croquette with us in the front yard, allowed us to concoct mud potions in buckets and let us make “the frozen wad.” Tori, Burl and I spent months creat-ing an egg of soapy frozen newspaper. You survived us singing “ooooh-uhm-ooooh-weee-um” repeatedly while traveling from the freezer after adding a new layer of newspaper. One day we decided to crack the wad open. I knew the wad would be hard, but it was surprising Mr. Burl had to use his chainsaw to cut the egg in half. There are too many stories to share in this small space. You and Mr. Burl allow us to have fun but also set boundaries. I have never felt that kind of love from non-family. You are a second set of parents who care for me as much as you care for Tori and Burl. You have always been so giving - of your time, your money, and most importantly - your love. Although we no longer live across the street from each other, I still feel the Carraway house is home. You helped me with assignments, drove me to activities, allowed me to go on vacation with your family, agreed to be my confirmation angel (and you were the best) and now encourage me at Consol. I never dreamed my second mom would also be my yearbook advisor. I have learned so much from you. You have an amazing ability to power through things with a smile on your face. You were not afraid to make significant changes to the yearbook because you were confident the staff could accomplish the goals you set forth. You were a fair and firm advisor who was not afraid to ask the staff to do tasks we didn’t really want to do, like sell yearbook ads. You have allowed me to use my natural talents to create fun pages and I have grown more confident in my design abilities. Even though I am leaving Consol, I am not leaving you. God willing, our relationship will grow richer as time goes on. Thank you for loving me like a daughter.

Community Service: United Way Youth Leadership Cabinet, Symphony Belles, Mission trip to Dominican Republic, Tigers Mentoring Tigers, Grace Bible Youth Bible Study member, KBTX Food Drive Leadership positions: Varsity Cheer Captain, Tigerland Yearbook Sports Editor Extra-curricular activities: Cheerleading, Yearbook, Student Council, National Honor Society, Track TeamPlans after high school: I will attend Baylor University and major in business with a minor in photography/advertising. I will go through sorority recruit-ment, join a Bible study group, and meet like-minded friends who have a heart for the Lord. Eventually I hope to marry a man who loves the Lord and have children.

Joanne Koolahonoring Jason Pratt

If high school was a playground, Mr. Pratt would be the big kid in charge, the kid who could sit on top of the jungle gym and have a mass of followers. His respect alone could boost you to the monkey bar section or leave you hanging near the sand box. After three years with Mr. Pratt, this analogy has not lost its truth. He truly is a kid at heart and maybe that is why he

treats teenagers like equals instead of looking down on us. For years I had heard stories about the “awesomeness” that is Mr. Pratt, but only when I met him myself did I realize why people yearned to get his approval. He is the type of honest person not often seen these days. In a world where people can live their lives solely on pleasantries like “How are you?” without actually expecting a reply, he stands out. Now as a senior, I doubt even one day has gone by without him asking how I am and actu-ally waiting for a response. My usual early morning reply consists of a mix of “okay” and “ughhh,” but his is an ever constant “fabulous!” If that did not get me in the happy spirit, his patriotic declaration of the Pledge of Allegiance, amusing life lessons, and crazy accents, would leave me peppier than any senior should be for second period. I am fortunate to have Mr. Pratt not just once a day, but twice, and I have learned so many things in that time that I will never forget. For example, the economy depends on spider man, bear alarms are fool proof, and AP kids fail at making widgets. Though this information may seem useless to the average person, these three truths of life can help conquer the world of economics. However, I have learned much more than just the workings of our market system. My favorite days are when Mr. Pratt has free time and we can sit and chat. Wikipedia has turned into a go-to for information as I try and catch up on the various topics he brings up in conversations. I do not think I have ever learned so much from one teacher alone. I may never truly understand the talent that is Slash, the rock star by the way, but he has never held it against me. Instead, he checks up on me when I am not smiling and offers to listen even when I do not ask. Now if that is not enough to prove that he truly is worthy of the seat of honor on the jungle gym I cannot imagine what would be. I may not be an expert on rock legends, and my attempt at an Indian accent may be worse than his, but I still hope to one day receive the level of monkey-bar status from the only teacher that can grant it to me, the big kid on the playground, Mr. Jason Pratt. Thank you.

Community Service: Interact Club, National Honor Society, Student Coun-cil, Brazos Valley Food Bank, Keep Brazos Beautiful, and the Children’s MuseumLeadership positions: President of AMCHS Interact Club Extra-curricular activities: Global Issues Club; National Honor Society; Student Council; Tutor for Mrs. Herman’s math students Plans after high school: I plan to attend college and major in architecture. I hope to then become a licensed architect and start designing as soon as possible.

Salou Krafthonoring Helen Carstens

Community Service: Ringer Library – College StationExtra-curricular activities: Basketball – Middle School; Soccer – Middle SchoolPlans after high school: Work at BMI Defense Systems

If I had to pick a second mother in my life, it would be Mrs. Carstens. She is the sweetest and most wonderful teacher that I could have ever hoped for. Since my freshman year, she has always been there for me, even through the tough times I have

been through. Mrs. Carstens has helped shaped me into the young lady I am today. I could not have done it without her. Many of the things I know today are because of her. I have never known someone as hard-working as Mrs. Carstens. She teaches, runs a business, and is a mother to four boys, and yet she still has time to help her students. One day, when I was especially upset, I went to see Mrs. Carstens and she took me outside, listened to my story, and gave me advice. I will never forget the time I was having a rough day. She told me to remember the verse, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Since then, I have never forgotten what she said, and it has gotten me through several difficult times I have been through. Since English is my second language, I have difficulty speaking the language compared to other people. Mrs. Carstens never rushes me and takes time to understand what I am trying to say and corrects me when I am wrong. There is no other person that I have known as loving, sincere, and respectful as Mrs. Carstens. Even when students are having trouble at home, I know they come to her for advice. She is patient even with challenging students. Thank you, Mrs. Carstens, for being the person that you are today. I wouldn’t ever change anything about you and hope one day to be just like you. All your life you have worked with boys, but you seem to know how to be a mother to girls, too. It was hard for my Haitian mother to be there for me. She had to work all the time, so it was just me and my father. I have always wanted to have a mother who would hold me when I cried and someone to talk to about boys. Thank you for being there for me in my crazy teen years. Thank you for helping my parents. I know it must not have been easy for them to raise me. You were quick to give advice during difficult times. That has been helpful because we have never struggled alone. Mrs. Carstens, you have helped me plan my future. I thank God for putting you in my life. Without you, I don’t know where the next path would lead me. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for helping me with everything you did. You are such a blessing to my life.

Peter Lamberthonoring Casey Akin

When I think about Mrs. Akin the first three words that enter my consciousness are eggplants, shoes, and sparkles. To those that do not know Mrs. Akin this statement might seem strange, but I can assure you that after you get to know her your response will almost certainly be similar. Mrs. Akin has an uncanny ability to take the seemingly dull

science of chemistry and transform it into an exciting world of untold beauty. Whether we were pointing to the windows or to the walls to demonstrate Le Chatelier’s principle for stress on equilibrium, or observing the effects of chemical changes in the oxidation of marshmallows while preparing s’mores, we were always making discoveries about how chemistry surrounds us every day. Mrs. Akin’s commitment to her passion for teaching and her sincere investment in her students’ success coupled with her quirky and bubbly personality is the perfect equation for an inspiring and stimulating classroom. One of my favorite memories of Mrs. Akin happened in AP chemistry last year. It was a particularly chilly Wednesday in January and I had just made the trek from my English class in the portables to Akin’s classroom which is on the exact opposite corner of the campus and upstairs. As we were taking rather cumbersome notes over integrated rate laws my table came to the conclusion that the only way to maintain our focus and keep us motivated to accommodate this new information in our increasingly crowded memory space was by drinking hot chocolate. I am still unsure as to the reason for this logic but I can attest to its positive results, because as soon as we mentioned our theory to Mrs. Akin she disappeared into the stock room. Shortly thereafter she emerged with beakers, stands, and Bunsen burners in hand to provide hot water for our requested beverages. She then proceeded to materialize a box of hot chocolate mix from one of her cabinets and a sleeve of insulated cups for everyone to use. Before ten minutes had passed every student in the class was sipping hot chocolate as they listened intently to the day’s lecture. This inci-dent marked the start of the new tradition of hot chocolate Wednesdays that added to the appeal of an already fantastic course. Despite how much I learned from Mrs. Akin about chemistry, which is quite a bit, I think the most meaningful lessons I learned were never taught in a lecture. Mrs. Akin is truly doing something she loves which is proven by the unmistakable excitement she exudes from every orifice of her body when her students are successful. This pure joy is greater than any other form of compensation and is more infectious than the H1N1 virus in the spring of 2009. It is with my deepest gratitude that I tell Mrs. Akin thank you for all that you do and all that you are, I never could have made it thus far without having your constant positivity keeping me pushing toward greatness.

Community Service: Church Youth Choir, Praise Band, and Youth Group; Cotillion and Etiquette Class Assistant Leadership positions: Band: Drum Major, Section Leader, Section Cap-tain; Student Council: Parliamentarian, Committee Head; National Honor Society: Treasurer; Church: Youth Praise Band Coordinator, Youth Council Representative Extra-curricular activities: Band, Student Council, National Honor Society, French Symposium Team, and UIL Science Team Plans after high school: Attend Rice University, majoring in biochemistry and cell biology

JJ Lollarhonoring Chelsea Frashure

Leadership positions: Team captain of the football team, junior and senior year. Extra-curricular activities: Football, powerlifting Plans after high school: Play football at Texas Tech University

Most people know her as Doc Frash or even Doc; but to me she will always be Mom. Throughout my four years at A&M Consolidated, I spent more time in the training room not hurt, but getting advice or learning something new about life and all the challenges I will face every day. Having her by my side as I matured through high school has allowed me

to look at situations with a different view. Anything from girl problems to life changing problems, she has been there with input and a different way to tackle the problem than I would have thought of. Although my mom and I did not always agree on how to solve the problem, or when to just drop it and leave it alone, I always knew she was waiting in her office with advice. The most important lesson that I learned in the little office, which we converted into many counseling sessions, was how to look at people. Throughout your life, you come into contact with many people who you do not grow fond of. Many times she had to listen to me rant and rave about people who just didn’t sit well with me. Times when I wanted to hit somebody, Mom was there to talk me through it, and realize the more you let your mind think you hate the person, the harder it is to let your heart love. I remember of countless times when I got told “you have to pray for the ones you can’t stand to have a good day and a great life!” At the time, it made no sense and I could not understand. I spent thirty minutes complaining about this person and all she wanted was me to pray they have a good day?! Looking back now I can understand why she would say that. Although, at the time, I thought she was crazy and completely ignored everything I had said. It has become very easy to not let people upset me by their actions if I take a few minutes out of my day and hope they have a blessed day. Even though the decisions I made throughout high school didn’t always please her, I knew no matter what, I could trust her not to judge me and look down on me for she knew I was just another high school guy making mistakes! I know that when I move away and start facing challenges of life in Lubbock, Mom will always be a phone call away ready to help with any problem I am facing. I know that soon I’ll have to share my love with Houston(her son). He is a blessed child to have such a great mother and father that I have claimed for the past four years, and I will always claim as my second parents. Thank you, Mom, for always being here for me! I will never forget the conversation and life learning advice I received in your office!

Celina Malavéhonoring LaBridget Lewis

When I trace the roots of my condition called perfectionism, they bring me to the first grade classroom at Southwood Valley Elementary with the memory of the petite, energetic, compassionate lady who loved me so well. One day, I made a special effort to have a perfect paper with no other red marks but a large 3 digit number. It was time to

master the art of the cursive lower case t. As Ms. Lewis walked around checking our handwriting paper with the dotted line in the middle, I carefully crafted each one of my t’s, making sure the cross of the t was exactly on the dotted line. I was finally ready for Ms. Lewis to check my paper. My eyes filled with joy and my mouth couldn’t help but smile as I knew I had finally done it. And then Ms. Lewis picked up her red pen and circled one of my t’s and said my cross wasn’t perfectly straight. I was crushed. I erased my t and sadly went about staring at the almost perfect paper. Almost. From this incident came my desire to not only cross all my t’s with a perfectly straight line, but to do everything to the absolute best of my ability. Ms. Lewis always took the time to scrupulously look over each detail only because she cared so much about her students. It wasn’t just about finishing our work, but rather about doing things right. Ms. Lewis had high expectations and I was determined to meet them. When I was wrong, Ms. Lewis pointed me in the right direction, and when I was right, she was always the first to point it out and say, “Uh! I can’t believe!” She loved to rejoice with us and constantly filled our little ears with words of encouragement, letting us know that we are more than capable of accomplishing anything we wanted if we put all we had into it. Ms. Lewis reminded us that no matter what was going on, respecting each other was expected. With my sassy 6 year old self, sometimes I would get some tough love which helped me learn that I am in no way better than anyone else and we each deserve to be respected and cherished. She not only encouraged me to do my best, but also to be the best to each person around me. With the love you showed, I can proudly say Erma Bormbeck’s quote that “when I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, I used everything you gave me.” Thank you for showing me that I am capable of using everything I have been given and to not let a single day go by without using my talent for a better purpose. You have been such a sweet blessing and helped me become the woman I am today.

Community Service: Lincoln Center/Boys & Girls Club, Relay for Life, Southwood Valley Elementary School Summer Enrichment Program, Angel Tree Families, CNA at Nursing Home, College Station Medical Center Leadership positions: Student Council- Student Body President, Student Body Vice President, Sophomore Class President, Freshman Class Co-President; Young Life Senior Leader; Youth Advisory Council- Special Events Committee Chair, Vice Chair; CSISD’s High School Transi-tion Team student representative; Tigers Mentoring the Next Tigers Founder Extra-curricular activities: Student Council, Tigers Mentoring the Next Tigers Mentor, National Honor Society, Youth Advisory Council, Health Occupation Student Association, Principal’s Cabinet, Superintendent’s Cabinet, Young Life, President’s Club, Business Professionals of America, Freshman Volleyball, Pan America Student’s Forum, Invisible Children Plans after high school: I plan to attend Stanford University and major in chemical engineering with the intent of attending medical school and becoming a physician. I see medical mission work in my future as well!

Chaiss Matthewshonoring Jan Fechhelm

I believe that one trait that separates average teachers from extraordinary teachers is their ability to inspire. As a young sixth grader, I hardly thought of my future beyond four square games on Fridays and who I would sit next to at lunch. Upon walking into Mrs. Fechhelm’s classroom on the first day of 6th grade, I had no idea of how much my future and life goals

would change. When Mrs. Fechhelm teaches, she seems to capture the room’s attention with her intelligence. I found myself looking forward to attending her class every day just to listen to her speak. After just a few days in her class I discovered that no matter how challenging or specific the question, Mrs. Fechhelm always had an answer. In that room, science came to life with her demonstrations of table cloths coming off of set tables in the flash of an eye and other exciting activities. She had a way of explaining concepts and information that made me want to listen and soak it all in. I sat as a sponge in her classroom, desiring to absorb everything Mrs. Fechhelm had to teach. One day, I walked into the classroom to find microscopes on top of the tables. Mrs. Fecchelm had brought them in to show us onion cells and the microscopic organisms living in pond water. I enjoyed the activity so much that I went home, found my grandfather’s used microscope, and looked at more pond water and onion cells for hours. Because of her passion for science, Mrs. Fechhelm inspired me to go beyond the classroom and delve deeper. I began thinking about my future in science for the first time when Mrs. Fechhelm invited our class to a Saturday field trip called “Expanding Your Horizons.” Because I loved Mrs. Fechhelm, I signed up instantly. On the day of the trip, we took a bus to A&M, attended classes, and participated in science related activities. I was enamored with what I learned, from observ-ing tiny worms to building small rockets out of film canisters. From that day on, I knew I wanted science to be my life. Without Mrs. Fechhelm, I never would have arrived at this decision. In the fall, I will be attending Louisiana State University where I will major in Biological Sciences, and I plan to one day attend medical school. I have never stopped loving science since 6th grade in Mrs. Fechhelm’s class. I can honestly say that she has changed my life for the better, and without her I would not be where I am today. She allowed me to discover my passion for science, and for this I am eternally grateful.

Community Service: St. Thomas Episcopal Church Youth Group; Teach Sunday School; Acolyte; Teach Vacation Bible School; CNA Volunteer at Nursing Home and the College Station Medical Center; Young LifeLeadership positions: Student Council Public Relations Co-Committee Chair; aided in Custodian Appreciation Week; helped organize Jason Maines Hat Day Extra-curricular activities: Varsity Track: Freshman Regional Qualifier, Junior Regional Qualifier; Varsity Cross Country: Sophomore Regional Qualifier, Junior Regional Qualifier; Cheerleading: helped lead student pep rallies; Student Council; National Honor Society Plans after high school: I plan to attend Louisiana State University and major in biology in hopes of attending medical school.

Austen McDougalhonoring Sara Wendt

First of all, let me begin by dispelling any fears that Ms. Wendt might have about this piece. For in it, I will by no means venture into the realm of delicate stories regarding Ms. Sara Wendt – I shall not touch upon how she proffered the green and red Sharpies for our class’ comparison and pondering as to the more aromatic utensil; neither shall I mention her

grandmother’s exotic pronunciation of the word “pizza” (she said it “peeza,” I am told); and I certainly will not discuss the elab-orate methods to which she introduced us regarding skin care, such as the application of butter to the face. Rather, this space is dedicated to the remarkable contribution Ms. Wendt made to my sophomore year and the lesson that I learned during that term: Ms. Wendt is a magician. She did the impossible every day, beginning at 1:05 P.M. She mixed the unmixable. She brought the most improbable elements together, math and children, she ground them against her philosopher’s stone, and voila! twenty-five schoolchildren and I rubbed our eyes in disbelief as we realized that we were learning algebra, and enjoying it. Her excitement to teach was rivaled by the kindness that she extended to every student, though. From offering gourmet chocolate to random students whom she did not even know who wandered into her class, to playfully responding to the excesses of teenagers long after any normal person would have cracked, Ms. Wendt was known as a comforting and trustworthy source of friendli-ness and help to all her students. In fact, I specifically remember marveling on one occasion at the fact that she continued to display patience toward our class, and I wondered when she would finally snap and start screaming at us (she never did!). Her cheerful attitude was infectious and trickled down to her students, and I do not think it a coincidence that several of my best friendships in high school were born in her class. Soon enough, I figured out how spectacular Ms. Wendt was, and I began to trade stories with her students from other periods about the adventures they had experienced in their classes, finding out, to my jealously, that they, too, had unique and unbelievable tales about Ms. Wendt’s class. Instead of allowing this happy atmosphere to descend into chaos, though, Ms. Wendt escaped the either-or dilemma of fun or learning. Somehow, incredibly, she knew exactly when to reel her class back in to focus on the lesson, and she knew exactly what stern face to use to accomplish this. Rarely have I encountered such an ability to teach, to tell stories, to speak one’s mind so directly yet maturely, to share in others’ joys and sorrows, to maintain control of a classroom, to encourage, yet Ms. Wendt holds each of these qualities. I have no idea how she did all of this, but I intend to press her for the secret to her magic during our dinner at the Hall of Fame tonight.

Community Service: Home church yard work service, CYIA summer Bible camps, VBS Leadership positions: Mock Trial defense attorney, Aggieland Soccer Club team captain, piano teacher Extra-curricular activities: Tiger Soccer, piano accompanist, Student Council, National Honor Society, Ping-Pong Club, AWANA Club Plans after high school: Attend a public or private nationally accredited postsecondary institution of higher learning

Zerrick Merchanthonoring Gregg Frashure

If someone were to tell me four years ago that I would grow more open with and have complete trust in an adult after all the bad things I had heard about him, I would have kicked them off a cliff. All of my friends who were already in high school would say, “I hate that guy.” “He’s a cold person.” “You don’t know him, but you’re gonna hate him.” This guy that they were

talking about was Coach Gregg ”Frash” Frashure and they were wrong. Meeting Coach Frashure my freshman year was a big wake up call. He had high expectations from everyone from the get go and only accepted someone’s best effort all the time. If he did not think you were giving him your best, he called you out in front of people to let you know that he was very serious about his job - to make each athlete the best he could be in all levels of athletics. Not only did Frash get you more ath-letically fit, he taught me how to be a better person, to always give my all and never give up. People in the weight room might not know it, but Frash is a pretty chill guy. He will laugh and joke and kid around with you but you have to know when it’s okay to do it and when it’s not. He also is really bad at giving compliments. I would classify his compliments like finding a polar bear in your suburban back yard: rare. Since I have been here, I think I have only heard him give compliments four or five times. I have come to realize he does not need compliments to let you know he is proud of you. He shows it with his encouragement and support, using his energy to do his best each day to get the best from each of us. Since I have been blessed to be in his presence through both football and powerlifting, I realize he has given me all sorts of tools to carry myself in the years to come. I know how he really can be and realize what people told me was far from correct. Coach Frashure strives for greatness on the field and excellence in the weight room. Coach Frashure helped put me on the powerlifting team my freshman year. Now, three years later, with Coach Frashure’s help, I was selected to receive the $1,000 Powerlifting Scholarship. This is how Frash compliments you, he helps you win! Building our relationship up from nothing much to something major these past four years of my time here, Frash, I wholly appreciate everything that you have ever done for me. I am honored to have been taught by someone who can relate to me as much as you did. Thank you so much again.

Community Service: Mentor at Southwood Valley Elementary; conducted tours for Intermediate students around the high schoolLeadership positions: Team Co-Captain: PowerliftingExtra-curricular activities: Football and PowerliftingPlans after high school: I plan to attend a 4-year university to pursue either social studies, kinesiology studies or both.

Katherine Nunleyhonoring Janice Attaway

There are moments, people, and places in life that, upon encountering them, change a person forever. Having a parent who is a teacher, I have had the opportunity to observe the influence that teachers can have on students’ lives. Janice Attaway was one of those people that forever changed my life. Mrs. Attaway worked with my mother at A&M Consoli-

dated Middle School for several years. I was able to meet Mrs. Attaway before having her in eighth grade Algebra, and I had come to the conclusion that I would like to have Mrs. Attaway as a teacher. Her kind smile and her witty humor always made me feel comfortable. In Algebra I, I was slightly intimidated by my first high school credit class. I could not have been in more capable arms than Mrs. Attaway’s as she taught the basics for not just this one course, but for all the math classes that I would ever take. Throughout the year, Mrs. Attaway went above and beyond to help me. She was patient, considerate, and she was always there to help when I needed it. Mrs. Attaway taught me important study skills and habits not only for her class and tests, but also for math classes throughout high school. With her help and dedication before and after school, my grades and my ac-tual understanding of the lessons improved exponentially and also helped set a firm foundation for my future goals. I loved Mrs. Attaway’s way of teaching. She had her own methods, easier than the ‘textbook way.’ With her many years of teaching came experience and a unique understanding of the material. To this day, I still use her method of factoring equations and multiplying them back out. Not only is Mrs. Attaway a fabulous teacher, but also she embodies the same character as both a teacher and a person. She is true, kind, patient, and very wise. She, in herself, is a role model like whom I might want to be someday. Without Mrs. Attaway, I would not have my love for math that I have today, which has led me to choose Texas A&M to pursue a major in petroleum engineering. Looking back over the past thirteen years of school, so many have influenced the decisions that have led me to where I am today, but Mrs. Janice Attaway played an incredible role in my education, and the impact it made on my future. I take this moment to say thank you to Mrs. Attaway, for your amazing dedication and wisdom.

Community Service: United Way of the Brazos Valley Youth Cabinet, Relay for Life, MLK Day of Caring, UM ARMY (Mission Trip), Food Bank, Habitat for Humanity Leadership positions: Cheerleading Choreography Captain Extra-curricular activities: Cheerleading, National Honor Society, Young Life, Student Council, United Way Youth Cabinet, Symphony Belles, The National Society of High School Scholars Plans after high school: Attend Texas A&M University and major in petro-leum engineering

Madeline Packardhonoring Scott Faulk

A&M Consolidated has one of the best media technology programs in the state of Texas. I have had the pleasure of be-ing able to belong to this program for the last four years, and I can honestly say that I believe Mr. Faulk is the sole rea-son for the program’s success. I could not imagine where I would be today if I did not have Mr. Faulk as my mentor and

friend. He has not only taught me the critical foundation of film, but he has also shown me how to trust myself and believe in my ideas. Mr. Faulk’s support has always been an encouragement to me, and I am confident that all of his students appreciate and recognize his commitment to creating a positive and creative learning environment. Always open to night practices and video edits, Mr. Faulk has devoted a stupendous amount of his own time to the program. Mr. Faulk has never fallen back on his word, and remains to be one of the most highly regarded teachers within the school. Mr. Faulk has continually been referred to as one of the greatest advisors his students have ever had. Within my first year in the program, Mr. Faulk promised my classmates and myself that he would work with us individually and completely to achieve each of our goals – whether we wanted to dedicate our time to newscasts or thirty-minute short films. From the beginning of my first year, Mr. Faulk has remained to be one of the most important individuals in my life. I have continued to look up to him as my role model and advisor since my freshman year. I could never express how much Mr. Faulk has taught me. We have spent an incredible amount of time together on school competitions and at leadership camps, I can honestly say that Mr. Faulk’s friendship is one of the most sincere relationships that I have ever had with another individual. Mr. Faulk has continued to support me, through tears and joy, with every step I have taken throughout the program. His friendship has become one of the most important parts of my day, and I could never imagine what I would do without his encouragement. I can honestly say that it amazes me that I have become so close to a teacher, for I have always been an introverted individual in the classroom. With this said, I can never stress enough how much Mr. Faulk has meant to me for the past four years. His undying encouragement and support has made me feel confident in myself, and that alone is impressive enough. Truly, Mr. Faulk cares for his students individually, striving to help them in any way that he possibly can. His honest sincerity is clear in his classroom. I have never seen a teacher who has had so much impact on his students, and I am proud to be a part of such a wonderful family. Through his support, friendship, and dedication, Mr. Faulk will remain to me as my friend and mentor, and I truthfully am thankful for all that he has done for my classmates and myself.

Community Service: Directed television show for the Brazos Valley Children Museum; edited promotional videos for Brazos Valley Health 4 All and the Education Grant Foundation; Brazos Valley Natural History Museum; Brazos Valley Food Bank Leadership positions: President of Audio Video Production program, Presi-dent of Interfaith club, Vice President for SkillsUSA District 7 Extra-curricular activities: National Honor Society Plans after high school: Attend University of Texas and major in film produc-tion

Alec Paradowskihonoring Bob DeBesse

Though football has not been in my schedule since the fall semester of my sophomore year, my time in the sport remains very important to me. I learned so much from both my former coaches and teammates. All of my coaches greatly contributed to my understanding of how to respect authority and the way I carry myself today, but the impact Coach

DeBesse has had on my life is incredible. I first met Coach Bob DeBesse during spring football of my freshman year. Knowing little about him, other than that he was the defensive backs coach, I elected to proceed cautiously. I did my best to give a good first impression by making sure I was on time, had all my equipment, and listened carefully to his instructions. It quickly became apparent that the failure to do any one of these things would not be tolerated by Coach DeBesse. The initial reaction of both me and many of my teammates was that of dismay. Playing for Coach Debesse appeared to be more like boot camp than football practice. Early on, I didn’t understand all the red faced yelling over what I deemed as insignificant little things. Coach DeBesse seemed to notice every imperfection of every play. Though at first I didn’t understand, as practices continued, the importance of an attention to detail became apparent. Coach DeBesse was illustrating the importance of the little things, the things people often overlook, but lead to devastating results in a football game. Forgetting to stay outside on a run play. Failure to read run or pass quickly enough. Lining up a few yards away from where I was supposed to be. After recognizing the significance of these little things, the yelling made more sense. Coach DeBesse didn’t yell just to yell or to see if he could get in our heads. He yelled because he knew each player on the field was capable of paying attention to detail and becoming a better player. Coach also demanded every player’s best effort. When he yelled, it wasn’t because I was horrible or he just didn’t like me. He knew I could do better. He griped when I slacked off and missed a tackle because he knew I could make it, or if I dropped a ball because he had seen me catch it before. Coach DeBesse demanded my best at all times and taught me to do the same. Poor effort was not tolerated because not putting all your effort into the game makes a mockery of it. These same ideals have transferred into the academic arena. Lower grades would be fine, if that was all I was capable of. But I can do better. Settling for less than I am capable would be to ignore what God has given me. Settling for less is taking my talents for granted. This does not stop at school though. It carries over into everything I do. If it’s worth doing, it’s worth giving all of my effort. This in-cludes paying attention to the little things. Fixing the things that other people probably won’t notice. On the off chance that they would though, there will be nothing for them to critique, and for that, I owe an incredible thanks to Coach Bob DeBesse.

Community Service: Help run Baseball Tryouts Leadership positions: Baseball Team Captain Extra-curricular activities: Baseball Plans after high school: Attend Wofford College to play Baseball; major in physics

Courtney Petershonoring Mary Ashlock

One of my best school years was in the first grade with Mrs. Ashlock. I cannot think of one woman as kindhearted and

gentle as her. She was not only a teacher, but a protector and care taker. No matter if it was her constantly having

to tie my shoes for me, or getting onto other kids on my behalf, she was always there for me. Being an extremely

shy kid, I needed a teacher like her. Her patience and kindness truly taught me a great deal and set an extraordinary example

for myself of the kind of person we should all try to achieve to become. She did not merely teach, but she genuinely cared

for every student in the class as if they were her own. Mrs. Ashlock definitely taught me the importance of loving and caring

for others. It was in Mrs. Ashlock’s class that I actually accomplished many “milestones” in my life. For instance, I lost my first

tooth on a lemonade sucker and got to write my name on the tooth booklet, which declared the truly monumental moment in

my life legitimate. Of course, as a first grader, losing a tooth is a big deal, and Mrs. Ashlock made sure she congratulated and

encouraged us on the things that we thought were important and were proud of. She didn’t fake the excitement either. She

was sincerely proud for us and made sure no success, whether small or large, went unnoticed. In her class, I also met my best

friend, and even today we are just as close. The fact that she put up with our mischievousness is proof enough of her patience.

Whether we were getting our fingers stuck in computers or peeking at each other’s spelling quizzes, she remained calm and

compassionate. Only a teacher that truly loves her job and the students could remain so gentle. Aside from friendships, I still

carry things with me today from her class. I still recite the “months of the year” song to remember whether June or July comes

first, and still use the handy knuckle trick to remember which months have 31 or just 30 days. It would be degrading to say Mrs.

Ashlock was a great teacher, because she was much more than that. She was a role model, comforter, confidant, and protec-

tor. Her gentle and humble spirit taught me the exact personality that I hope and want to see in myself.

Community Service: AMCHS Audio/Video Production - Food Bank volun-teer & filmed tv shows for Children’s Museum; Central Baptist Church Youth Group - Mission trips to Charlottesville, Virginia & Piedras Negras, Mexico; Central Baptist Church - Sports Camp; Central Baptist Church - Audio/Vi-sual Team; Relay for Life; Christmas in July; Tiny Tim; Angel Tree Leadership positions: AMCHS Audio/Video Production - Vice President (12th); Public Relations Committee Head (11th); Central Baptist Church - Au-dio/Visual Team Leader; Central Baptist Church Youth Mission Trip - Team Leader Extra-curricular activities: AMCHS Audio/Video Production; SkillsUSA Competition; Student Council; National Honor SocietyPlans after high school: Fighting Texas Aggie Class of 2016 - Mays Business School – marketing; Living on-campus with my best friend, Abigayle English

Kendall Pyehonoring Cindy Knapek

I chose Coach Cindy Knapek to be my most influential educator because of the huge impact she has had on my life. I first

met her the summer before my junior year during volleyball tryouts. Even though she was my coach for the next three

months, I didn’t make a personal connection with her. It wasn’t until I decided to try out for girl’s power lifting that I really

got to know Coach K. Coach K told me right off the bat that I wasn’t built like your average power lifter; I was much too tall

and gangly for it to be to my advantage. Even with these physical factors that counted against me, Coach K still encouraged

me to try and helped me to become a fourth place regional champ. She pushed me and expected me to give my best in every

practice. Coach K never let me slide and would call me out if she caught me slacking. Even though she was extremely ridged

about practice and hated how we would procrastinate doing particularly unpleasant or difficult lifts, she quickly became one of

my favorite coaches of all time. She turned out to be just as big of a goofball as the rest of the team, and would mess with us if

things got too serious. Coach K and I became what I can only describe as friends; we would joke around during practices and

meets and play pranks on each other. Long bus rides to places like Taylor and Florence brought us even closer; what else can

you do on a bus for three hours but talk? Unless of course Coach K is driving, then you don’t want to distract her from the road

so she doesn’t get lost. Even with her occasionally sketchy sense of direction, Coach K always got us to the meets safely. Few

people realize how taxing being a power lifting coach really is, but K was always chipper. From having to wrap our knees for

the squat lifts to having to help us in and out of our suits, she kept up her fun-loving attitude for every meet. Coach K has been

my favorite teacher and coach because not only is she encouraging and welcoming, but she believed in me and truly had

my best interests at heart. Thank you so much for being such an amazing coach and for supporting me through these past two

years!

Community Service: Symphony Belles Leadership positions: Team captain for club volleyball for four years Extra-curricular activities: National Honor Society, Volleyball and Power-lifting Plans after high school: To attend the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor and play volleyball

When I was a little girl, I loved my immaculate 3 story 9 room Barbie house that provided hours of entertainment, if only rearranging the furniture. With the foundation set, Mrs. Peterson awakened the true designer within me. With the start of my junior year quickly approach-

ing, I wanted to take some classes that would help to relieve stress and not add to that of my already advanced classes. For this reason I chose Interior Design as my elective. I could not have been more wrong. While the class was much more demanding than I had anticipated, it was also the most reward-ing class of my school career. I not only gained invaluable knowledge of design but also had the benefit of a wonderful relationship with Mrs. Janet Peterson. The first day of class, the new students walked in the classroom to bare walls, and a teacher demanding that instructions are followed. I had a bad feel-ing that my initial presumption of a blow-off class was wrong. Despite those initial thoughts, I quickly learned that Mrs. Peterson had a fun and quirky attitude that made her class stand above the rest. I have had the great opportunity to have a teacher that has also become an inspiration, mentor and friend. She has taught me invaluable knowledge in the fields of design, organization, and time management. In addition she has helped me explore possible career options, including interior design and teaching. She has taught me the joys of expressing individuality and the immense satisfaction of taking on and com-pleting impossible projects. She treats students as her equals and values their opinions in everything from teaching skills to lesson plans. Her spunk and contagious good spirit create a fun learning environ-ment that I am grateful to have been a part of. I cannot imagine how my last two years of high school would have played out, had I not signed up for Interior Design. I am sure they would not have been nearly as fulfilling or enjoyable as they have been, and that is all thanks to the wonderful people that have been in my life. I have decided that the field of design will hold some sort of career in my future, and with Mrs. Peterson, I never would have considered the arts as a “real” job. I will be forever grateful for the inspiration and knowledge that Mrs. Peterson has passed down to me. Her support and input has been valued these past two years and I am thankful to have had this opportunity to show her just how much she has influenced my life.

Danielle Reineckehonoring Janet Peterson

Community Service: Volunteer at Lincoln Center, donate plasma Leadership positions: Vice President of Art Club Extra-curricular activities: Member of National Honor Society, Member of FCCLA, Member of Crimestoppers Plans after high school: I plan on attending Blinn College and transferring to Sam Houston State University to major in interior design.

At the age of seven, I was introduced to soccer. Over time, this new part of my life became the one thing that relieved my stress and worries. It made me feel good and happy. I was satisfied. At the age of twelve, something changed. Life started to become real. Seventh grade began,

and with it, greater independence followed. Understandably, I was apprehensive and nervous, not knowing what to expect. Out of all the classes I attended on that first day of seventh grade, I distinctly remember one: Mrs. Langdon’s English class. Upon entering her classroom, one could feel the posi-tive energy. The environment was welcoming and warm. As the days passed, I looked forward to Mrs. Langdon’s English class. It became the highlight of each day. There are teachers who are wonderful at helping students retain information. They constantly drill students until, whether they wanted to learn it or not, they know the subject matter being taught. Mrs. Langdon, however, made her students pas-sionate about learning. Her love for teaching and caring personality made me smile and got me excited about learning, and her class quickly became my favorite. Although I do not remember much about the seventh grade English curriculum, I do recall that there was a lot of writing. At the beginning of the year, I was not all that comfortable with the idea of writing so much for a class. I was worried that my writing was not good enough, and that I wrote all the wrong things. Day after day, we engaged in some type of writing activity, to practice and refine our skills. I slowly began to gain confidence in my writing until, I loved it. I found it difficult to stop writing, and began devoting myself to writing a book. At the time, I did not tell many people about my book because I felt that they simply would not understand why I was doing it, or appreciate the idea of it—but I did tell Mrs. Langdon. She could not have been more supportive or pleased, and she could not wait to read my book. Writing began to play the same role in my life as soccer had. I was able to express myself in so many ways, and voice my ideas and opinions, knowing that they were mine. At this point in my life, I don’t know what I would have done if I did not love writing as much as I do. Mrs. Langdon has been teaching for many years and I’m sure that her care and love has impacted more lives than just mine. Although I had her in seventh grade, I continue to carry the enthusiasm about writing that she has instilled in me. I will never forget that.

Sofia Rojo del Bustohonoring Ann Langdon

Community Service: Symphony Belles: volunteer for the Brazos Valley Symphony Orchestra; National Honor Society and Student Council: many service projects around the community Leadership positions: Lady Tiger Soccer Co-Captain; Student Council Committee Head; Parliamentarian of the National Honor Society; Founder and President of AMCHS Legal Society Extra-curricular activities: Lady Tiger Soccer 3 year letterman; Dallas Texans Aggieland soccer teamPlans after high school: I plan to major in international business, become a lawyer and eventually enter the political world.

David Rooneyhonoring Ryan Goodwyn

I first met Ryan Goodwyn on the pool deck in the summer of 2004. At the time, I was a small timid looking boy not knowing what to expect of this new coach. In swimming, coaches are not just coaches. They are parents, counselors, teachers, and mentors. To be decent at the sport of swimming, it takes an extreme amount of tedious practice and many countless hours in

the pool. Sometimes, that coach on deck (possibly yelling at you) is your only means of getting through the workout. Look-ing back now, I didn’t know initially what to think of him. He was funny but serious at the same time and loved coaching and teaching kids how to swim. It wasn’t until I joined the high school team four years ago and started to spend more time with him that I began to see the depth of his character. I have learned that he has all, if not more, of the qualities that make a stel-lar coach – integrity, grit, determination, kindness, humor, intelligence, experience, and wisdom. I may have not appreciated it until this year, but my life has been positively impacted because of his coaching style. He taught me that I didn’t have to be the fastest swimmer to still enjoy the sport. For him, it was about me racing the clock, and success came when I achieved a personal best. He wasn’t focused only on the winning. He just wanted me to perform to the best of my abilities and have some fun along the way. He expected that. He was selfless in his goals for the team to do well. And not only did he expect us to do our best, but he expected himself to live up to the same standards. He walked the walk (or should I say “swam the swim”). He showed me the importance of taking part in something you love. And doing what you love is the path to happiness in life. There is no doubt that Goodwyn loves swimming and coaching; he is happy. Hard work and dedication helps get you there. Swim-ming is a sport that requires a ton of hard work, dedication, and guts. He pushed us to our limit many times at practice. It is hard to forget those 100 miles (yes, you read that right) that we put in over the break. And reflecting back now, some of my greatest moments are tied to the sense of accomplishment and pride I felt when surviving a particularly hard set. With a little sweat equity, dreams can become goals and goals become reality. He wanted me to believe that and also believe in myself and my abilities. Thank you Coach Goodwyn for all your sacrifices and sharing who you are. It has been through your coaching and teaching that I have grown, and I hope to pay forward those lessons which have had such an impact on me.

Community Service: American Cancer Society - Brazos County Relay for Life - Captain of Southwood 4-H team, Hospitality Chair; Mays Business College - Entrepreneurial Boot Camp for Veterans (provided dinner); KBTX - Food for families; Hospice of the Brazos Valley - helped with Christmas wreath fundraiser; St Thomas Aquinas Church - garage sale and festival, PULSE (peer counseling)Leadership positions: Team co-captain for Tiger Swimming; President of Southwood 4-H ClubExtra-curricular activities: National Honor Society; Aggie Swim Club; Tiger Swimming; 4-H - Poultry, Foods Group, Photography, Horticulture, Leader-ship; FFA - Agriscience Fair, Poultry Judging Plans after high school: Attending Texas A&M, majoring in agribusiness

Cesia Sanchezhonoring Kendra Lundy

Throughout my high school years I was always asked “Who is your favorite teacher… who has been of great inspiration to you?” At the time I did not have an answer. There were many teachers and staff that greatly inspired my life. One in particular was Mrs. Lundy. The first time I met Mrs. Lundy was in the school library. I had many questions on how to find

research for my essays. She helped me with my every day difficulties. It wasn’t until my senior year that I built a great relation-ship with Mrs. Lundy. Becoming a volunteer for the library was the catalyst that flourished our relationship. Mrs. Lundy helped me continue my passion for volunteering. Every day I saw her gathering information for many classes that would need the library for upcoming days. When new books were brought to the library she would make sure to have them ready for students to check out. Whether checking books in or out for students, helping them with difficulties, and assisting teachers if they ever needed help Mrs. Lundy would never complain. I saw the love and passion with which Mrs. Lundy worked. Every day she had a smile on her face. She would happily help anyone in need. I am one of many that Mrs. Lundy helped. There were many times I feared what my future held. I would always come to Mrs. Lundy and talk to her about my day and the worries I had. She would always guide me in the right path and let me know that things would be alright. When I discussed my failures with Mrs. Lundy she would always turn our conversation into something positive. I remember the first time I got rejected from the college of my dreams. It was devastating to know that my plans would not go as I had planned them to go. It was during winter break that I called Mrs. Lundy and let her know about the news. Without hesitation she answered my phone call and had an open ear to listen to what I had to say. After crying for a couple of minutes Mrs. Lundy let me know that God has a plan for my life and maybe that plan was not set for me. “There are bigger and better things out there that God has for you,” Mrs. Lundy would tell me. Mrs. Lundy helped me overcome my fear of failure. Through Mrs. Lundy I learned that being successful comes with learning how to deal with failures. I learned the most important things that could help me in my life through Mrs. Lundy’s help and guidance. Mrs. Lundy has helped me in many ways to make my dreams a reality. Whether it is writing letters of rec-ommendation for scholarships, helping me with club competitions, and being a mentor, Mrs. Lundy has greatly inspired my life. I give thanks to God each and every day for giving me the opportunity of having Mrs. Lundy in my life.

Community Service: A&M Consolidated Library, Larry J. Ringer Library, Ebenezer, Angel Tree, Dallas Public Library Leadership positions: FCCLA President, BPA Team Leader, Summer Reading Program Team Leader Extra-curricular activities: Japanese Class Level-1, Business Profession-als of America, Family Career Community Leaders of America, Spanish Club, National Honor Society, National Society of High School Scholars, Ebenezer Revival Dance Group Plans after high school: Major in international commerce and obtain a minor in religious studies.

Casey Shomakerhonoring Paula Roddy

Author Robert Fulghum once theorized “that everything [you] need to know [you] learned in kindergarten.” While this statement may seem quite ludicrous and silly, it is not far from the truth. In that colorful classroom full of rowdy five year olds, many important skills are learned. You are encouraged to share, explained the consequences of breaking

the rules, and shown how important it is to let everyone have a turn on the swings. But more than that, you are taught to love without judgment, explore new worlds, and that it’s okay if your dinosaur is blue while your neighbor’s is green. While I am the first to admit that I am far from perfection in any of these areas, I hold fast to the truth that many of the attributes that have helped me achieve success in life I learned in kindergarten under the guidance of one of the most incredible people you will ever meet, Mrs. Paula Roddy. To say that Mrs. Roddy is good at her job is a dishonorable understatement. It should be noted that a handful of the students being honored tonight were also blessed with her leadership during the 1999-2000 school year. Fortunately, I have had the wonderful privilege of enjoying Mrs. Roddy’s company since that time, as she has continued to encourage me as I moved on to bigger and better things. Perhaps that is Mrs. Roddy’s finest quality: her encouraging heart. Whether on the volleyball court, in the classroom, or anywhere in between, Mrs. Roddy has always been one of my biggest fans. She has an uncanny ability to see the joy in every situation, and good in every person. While she can be brutally honest, her constructive criticism is always awarded with good intentions, and although our Rock Prairie days are long gone, I seem to learn some-thing new and intriguing in every conversation we share. Not only does Mrs. Roddy love pouring out her wisdom, she is an impeccable listener. Over the years we have struggled through our fair share of tough moments, but all were lessened by Mrs. Roddy’s open ears and heart. I am confident that this is why I often find myself referring to her as my “second mother.” As we near closer to graduation, and Mrs. Roddy has now graduated to the 3rd grade, I am able to reflect on my past and the impact Mrs. Roddy has had on my childhood. Even though I have chosen to attend a certain school that Aggies like Mrs. Roddy are programmed to strongly dislike, I am certain that she will continue to provide encouragement and love wherever the future may take us, whether through Facebook messages, her heartwarming hugs, or kind smiles. It is a wonderful honor to be here tonight, but it would not have been nearly as special without the company of Her Royal Highness, Mrs. Paula Roddy.

Community Services: Brazos Valley Food Bank; Little Big EventLeadership positions: 2010 & 2011 Volleyball Captain; Student Council Service Committee Head; Young Life Campaigners TeamExtra-curricular activities: Student Council; Volleyball; National Honor Society; Young LifePlans after high school: Majoring in biochemistry at the University of Texas at Austin

Kendra Spawhonoring Chris Norton

Twelve years, 57 teachers, one that completely impacted my future; Chris Norton. I would honestly be surprised if anyone

reading or listening to this would know who Mr. Norton is. If you do, then you and I both know that we are greatly

blessed. I met Mr. Norton on the first day of my fourth grade year in the flat, windy town of Amarillo, Texas. It was Mr.

Norton’s third year of teaching math, science and social studies, and the way he ran his classroom seemed to always be an

adventure. I remember making barometers with jars and balloons, playing jeopardy with the colorful, light up buzzers and the

fancy TV on wheels, you know, before Smart Boards. He made me appreciate math and cultivated a work ethic in me that I

maintained throughout my education. His kind attitude always made me feel welcome and he never gave up on me when it

came to long division. I appreciated his teaching style so much that it has inspired me to become a fourth grade math teacher

as well. I currently intern at Creek View Elementary in a fourth grade math class and this experience fully confirmed my love

for the field and what a reward it is to give children the ability to think and calculate and decide for the betterment of their future.

I hope Mr. Norton has felt this reward. Not only has he become the principal at the school where he taught me eight years ago,

but he has changed a student’s life. My life. He has helped me become the student I am now and the teacher I will one day be.

Thank you, Mr. Norton.

Community Service: Tigers Mentoring Next Tigers Program- mentoring low socio-economic students in the district; Relay for Life; NICU festival helper- help with set up of events and organizing stations Leadership positions: Executive Editor of The Roar Newspaper Extra-curricular activities: The Roar Newspaper; College Station Soccer Club (recreational) Plans after high school: To attend Texas A&M University majoring in education

Kayla Stronghonoring Melanie Bruxvoort

The key to a successful future is the people and the experiences that influence your life. A person who influences you

is someone who cares about you, challenges you, cares enough to guide and teach you. But most of all they believe in

you and teach you to believe in yourself. Mrs. Bruxvoort is that teacher who has influenced and encouraged me to do

my best. She is a kind, thoughtful and caring teacher who would do anything for me or any of her students. She is a teacher

who cares enough to spend her personal time looking for strategies to improve learning and bring new ideas into my life. I

think of Mrs. Bruxvoort not only as my teacher, but my friend, someone I could go to when I had a problem or just needed some-

one to talk to. The first day of school teachers usually say the most important thing is seeing their students succeed. To me

what a teacher knows, what they do, and what they care about is very powerful when influencing someone. Mrs. Bruxvoort,

thank you for being that powerful person who pushed me to learn and succeed in life.

Extra-curricular activities: Tigers Mentoring Next Tigers Plans after high school: I plan to attend Blinn and then transfer into Texas A&M University to study at Mays Business School

Tiara Tuckerhonoring Lori Shead

When teenagers are asked who inspired and impacted their lives the most, the majority say one of their parents. When we were asked to write a letter about a teacher/staff member growing up, who inspired us most, I automatically knew who my influential staff member was: a teacher and a coach at AMCHS, who just happens to be my mom,

Coach Lori Shead. I have been a coach’s kid all my life. My mom coached and taught me throughout my middle school and high school careers. Like most teachers, Coach Shead has helped me grow as an individual and a student. Like most coach-es, she has helped me develop into a strong, committed athlete. Like all people who have impacted me, she has changed my outlook on many facets of life. Not many teenagers have the opportunity, like I have, to say they have a parent as a coach and a teacher. When you have someone go through life with you, experiencing everything firsthand, and watching you grow as a daughter, athlete, and a student, you have been blessed with a unique situation. Being my mom isn’t the only reason Coach Shead is the most influential person in my life. She pushes me to limits I don’t often realize I am capable of attaining. As a coach, my mom has extreme expectations for me. She sets the bar high and drives me with her personal energy and ambition. My mom/coach is intuitive to my limitless abilities, and refuses to let me accept average or mediocre grades or performances. My mom has always possessed high expectations and is tough, but she comforts and reassures with care, wisdom and inspira-tion. As a teacher, Coach Shead has taught me those qualities of being a good student, possessing study skills and knowledge that will help me as I continue my college education. Challenging me, as my mom has in the classroom and on the court, has taught me an important lesson in life: “nothing is given, but everything is earned”. Mom has taught me the dedication, commit-ment and hard work are the keys to success in all facets of life. Coach Shead is my inspiration to continue to work diligently and push forward to a higher level of academics and athletics. Because of my mom, I have goals, ambitions and dreams that I know are realistically achievable.I am grateful for Coach Shead’s guidance and leadership on the basketball court, for her supervision, and counseling in the classroom, but most importantly for the love, advice and support that only a woman as my mom can offer her child. I am lucky and blessed to have this incredible, unselfish woman as my mom and coach. Thank you for everything you have done mom, I love you.

Community Service: Palestine Community Food Drive VolunteerAMCHS ISS tutor, Delta Sigma Theta Scholarship FundLeadership positions: 2010-2011 Varsity Basketball Lady Tiger Defensive Captain, 2011-2012 Varsity Basketball Lady Tiger Co-CaptainExtra-curricular activities: FCA, Young Life, Unity Club, Basketball Plans after high school: Major in biology at University of Mary-Hardin Baylor and attend Medical School to study Pediatric Medicine

Katy Turnerhonoring Stoney Pryor

Throughout my four years at A& M Consolidated High School I have been exceptionally lucky to build a strong relation-ship with my coach and teacher Stoney Pryor. The first time I heard his voice bellow through the soccer stadium to get on the line for sprints, I was quite intimidated. However, those feelings of intimidation quickly changed into admiration. One

of the many ways Coach Pryor has positively impacted my life is through his joyful nature. His benevolent attitude has truly influenced me to aspire to live my life like he does. The charismatic joy he displays in the classroom creates an environment where learning suddenly becomes cool. Coach Pryor’s nurturing behavior has guided me through some difficult hardships. After a concussion my sophomore year and a knee surgery gone wrong my junior year, I unfortunately had to leave the soccer program. However, throughout my disastrous physical and emotional state of being, Coach Pryor ensured that I persevered through the trials placed before me. Offering words of encouragement in his office while tears rolled down my face, I knew that without his guidance in my life my self-esteem would have diminished. Standing by my side through the difficult journey I call high school, Coach Pryor continued to call and check in on me. I wish that everyone would have a chance to witness the internal strength that he displays to unselfishly benefit others’ growing in character. I respect that Coach Pryor genuinely puts forth an effort to build relationships with individuals. Not only is he an AP Statistics teacher and the girl’s soccer head coach, but he also undergoes the responsibility of coaching the football team and being a father of three. His time management skills must be right on the ball! Even if it may take a week or so to get a test grade back, the amount of fun that takes place in his presence can be confirmed by anyone whom he has had an encounter with. Whether it be asking tricky riddles in class, or catching some of his students off guard by inquiring “How many symbols are in the day after Tuesday?” the life lessons he conveys through setting an example are instrumental in developing individuals to have strong character. Stoney Pryor is more than a coach and a teacher; he is someone who I will always respect, admire, and look to up to as an example in the way that I want to live my life. So Coach Pryor, I want to thank you. Thank you for being so joyful. Thank you for caring. And thank you for unselfishly loving others. Your positive impact on my high school career has been the most influential in truly developing me into a person of joy and perseverance. Thank you for building a personal relationship with me as an athlete, student, and teenage girl.

Community Service: Madre Dios Bolivian Orphanage; 2010 Hope Preg-nancy OutreachLeadership positions: Co-Founder AMCHS Legal Society; Sophomore year STUCO co-presidentExtra-curricular activities: Student Council; Invisible Children; Soccer (School & Challenge 93 A Team); Basketball (School and AAV); State Bowling Team; National Honor Society; Christ United Methodist Youth Group; 2008-2010 College Station Youth City Council MemberPlans after high school: Attend the University of Alabama

Serena Wanghonoring Connie Wood

Community Service: College Station String Quartet, second violinist: volunteered at Carriage Inn retirement community; Houston Youth Symphony String Quartet, first violinist: volunteered at MD Anderson Cancer Center, Ronald McDonald House, and various retirement communities in the Houston area; National Honor Society Leadership positions: AMCHS Student Council Representative - Junior Executive Officer, Prom Committee Head (grade 11); Houston Youth Symphony, Symphony Or-chestra - Concertmaster; AMCHS Varsity Orchestra - Concertmaster; Texas French Symposium AMCHS group leaderExtra-curricular activities: Houston Youth Symphony, Symphony Orchestra; AMCHS Freshman/Varsity Orchestra; AMCHS Swim Team; Texas French Symposium; Science BowlPlans after high school: I plan to attend Harvard University with a concentration in neuroscience.

Once upon a time, there was a pretty little girl who lived in a pretty little house by a pretty little bay. She went to a pretty little school, had lots of pretty little friends, and two pretty little siblings. Life was good. But no one stays little forever, and at thirteen years old, one of life’s great thresholds of physical change, I left the seaside paradise of the San

Francisco Bay for a town halfway across the nation called College Station, Texas. Just as I began to care about my appear-ance, I saw my sense of identity swept away in a sea of skinny, blonde haired, blue-eyed girls. I loved tricky math problems, but I didn’t join College Station Middle School’s MathCounts because “that’s social suicide.” I didn’t care about clothes before, but suddenly, brand names were everything. I almost didn’t even join orchestra, my one source of emotional release all these years. I forgot everything that I ever knew about myself and about life– I left my personality in the house by the Golden Gate Bridge. But as my world shook both around me and inside me, one teacher, Mrs. Connie Wood, helped me find the confidence to stay standing. Mrs. Wood was no normal teacher. Every day, she made all of her students line up outside her door, and as we entered, she shook each of our hands and asked, “How are you?” If the handshake was limp, or if we answered “good” instead of “well” or “fine,” we would walk shamefully to the back of the line, and start again. For our daily dose of life lessons, Mrs. Wood read passages from the book The Seven Habits of Highly Successful People by Stephen Covey. On the last day of school, as I prepared to leave seventh grade behind once and for all, Mrs. Wood grabbed my shoulder, looked me in the eyes, and said, “Serena, you have a gift.” I never forgot those words. At the time, we often wondered where these unconventional activities were leading us. Were we wasting our time? Was Mrs. Wood loopy? I didn’t know that I would later use that same handshake in college interviews halfway around the world, and get into some of my dream schools. I didn’t know that of those Seven Habits, the habit “be proactive” would help me join intense research labs in biochemistry, and discover my desire to make a difference in this world. I didn’t know that of all the things she taught me, the confidence that Mrs. Wood instilled in me during this time of emotional turmoil would launch my search for my personal morals, and fuel my endeavors throughout high school and beyond. Now, again, I am at a threshold of change. Next year, I will again have to leave behind everything I’ve built for myself, and find my place in a new environment. But this time, I have my dreams and my identity to hold onto. Some-how, this time, I’m not scared at all.

Quinton White, Jr.honoring Dennis Rhodes

Imagine your super hero, who you look up too, is someone you listen to daily. This is what Coach Dennis Rhodes is to me. He

has helped me through a lot in the past three years. When I have problems, and don’t know how to handle them I go to my

mentor. Rhodes is a man who is caring, loving, giving, and full of spirit. We have had many conversations about our lives. He

is the only person I can truly tell all my problems to without feeling weird. We talk about everything together. Everyone knows

I’m an athlete; but Coach Rhodes sees more in me than just that. He sees a young man who wants to make it in life; he sees a

young man who wants to be successful. Rhodes is always on me about my grades, and that’s a big reason why I got a scholar-

ship. I want to be known as a student athlete not just another athlete that graduated from Consol. Rhodes has been a role

model for me. When I’m at school and need help, he is the first person I go too. I don’t know what I would do without him in my

life! I finally did what he told me to do, and that’s talk to my father and let him know how I feel. That talk I had with my dad was

one that I needed. All I want to say is thank you Coach Rhodes for always being there for me and caring. You may not know

this but what you have been telling me I actually heard. You have been a blessing in my life. I also would like to give a shout

out to Mrs. Betts and Mrs. Elder, ya’ll are the reason why my mother attended college. Thanks to both of you for never giving up

on her.

Community Service: Pebble Creek Mentor ProgramLeadership positions: Captain of the football team. Extra-curricular activities: 3 year starter and lettermen: football, basketball and track. Plans after high school: Attend Texas Tech where I will play football on a full-ride scholarship. I plan to major in kinesiology and minor in business.

Amy Zhanghonoring Courtney Wellmann

There are a handful of words that can be used to describe how I felt the first time I walked into Mrs. Courtney Wellmann’s classroom that afternoon in 2009, and all of them are synonymous with “intimidated.” Over the course of the summer, my older friends had warned me about Mrs. Wellmann’s tough English II Pre-AP course, and I was nothing but worried. To add

to my level of confidence, I had Journalism the period right after English, which meant that I would spend about two hours in her room every day. So, I walked into Mrs. Wellmann’s room quite nervous that first day, not knowing what to expect from this teacher that I had heard so much about. That fateful day though, I was greeted with a warm smile, one that I would come to know quite well over the next two and a half years. Within Mrs. Wellmann’s classes, I found a sort of security that I had never found anywhere else. English, which had always been my safe-haven, morphed into a class where I built a foundation in writing that became invaluable in my junior and senior years. In Journalism, I discovered a subject that I truly enjoyed, no matter how “tedious” some of the more basic assignments were. Mrs. Wellmann’s influence spread beyond the subject matter taught in English and Journalism. She taught me fairness - she did not play favorites, as I received a handful of deservedly low grades in English, even while I was in newspaper. She taught me compassion - she understood if my day went horribly prior to my arrival in newspaper, and was always willing to lend an ear or give a hug. But most of all, Mrs. Wellmann taught me the importance of dedication. This year, as I stayed at the school until a shockingly late hour on deadline days, Mrs. Wellmann has been right there by my side, always willing to talk with me about new possibilities for The Roar. Under her guidance, I have achieved accomplishments I never would’ve thought possible, all while looking up to a woman who worked on completing her dissertation for a doctorate while balancing two levels of English in addition to us crazy newspaper girls. And through all of this, she never lost her “Wellmann smile,” always keeping a cheery demeanor, encourag-ing us when we were at low points in our lives. In Mrs. Wellmann, I have found support, as she has been there to help me get through everything from a bad test grade to dealing with a rude employee at a UIL meet to standing strong in the face of newspaper contro-versy. I think every high school student goes through that awkward phase where they are not sure about what they wanted to do in life. Unlike many of my peers, I’m not sure I ever left that phase - in fact, there probably hasn’t been a year when I’ve been less sure of myself, as far as “life-decisions” go. But if there’s anything I’ve learned since those awkward middle school years, it’s that I should try to do something that makes me happy, no matter what other people think - and there’s no question that Mrs. Wellmann has been the teacher who has taught me that the clearest, through everything she’d done. And for that, I could never thank her enough.

Community Service: Interact Club, Student Council, Leo Club, National Honor Society, pianist for Bryan Chinese Church Leadership positions: Editor-in-Chief of The Roar Newspaper; Vice-Presi-dent of Interact Club; Senior Class Treasurer for Student Council; General Committee Rapporteur for the Texas Model Organization of American States’ Pan-American Student Forum Extra-curricular activities: The Roar Newspaper, Interact Club, Student Council, UIL Academics, Pan American Student Forum, and AMCHS Orchestra Plans after high school: To attend the University of Texas, majoring in the Plan II Honors program

Student Honorees from

Timber Academy

Ruby Aguinagahonoring Laurie Rath

Community Service: Red Ribbon Week - Say no to drugs; Cancer Aware-ness Week - Pink Week; Organized Open House for Timber Academy High School Leadership positions: Superintendent’s Student Leadership Cabinet; Presi-dent of Student Council Extra-curricular activities: Won Art, History, and English academic awardsPlans after high school: I plan to attend Blinn in August and will become a radiologist technician.

Wow! Where do I even begin? Well, for one you are my second mother. You are the one who always puts in

overtime with the expectation of absolutely nothing in return. I feel as if you never receive the appreciation you

deserve. You are always there when students are in need of someone to listen to them. Anytime I need your

help or your time, you are always there even if it means stopping what you are doing. You are the greatest motivator. While I

attended school, you were the one who would pick me up every morning for school. Rain or shine you were there and never

complained once. I just want you to know how much I truly appreciated it. I also want you to know that you have made a tre-

mendous difference and a positive impact in my life and you have an amazingly large heart. I want to thank you for everything

and for having faith in me graduating and completing my senior year successfully. You will always be an important person in

my life and I will stay in contact with you forever. Ms. Rath, take some time for you. You deserve it. Always remember, you are

the best teacher, assistant principal, and second mom for which any one could ask.

Audra Rowehonoring Paul Hord

Having to transfer from Huntsville where I was born and raised to College Station proved to be a difficult transition for

me. My older brother was able to stay and graduate from Huntsville High School; however, due to some family is-

sues, I moved to College Station still needing to finish my high school years. I struggled through my freshman year and

finally as a sophomore, I met Mr. Hord, my new guidance counselor. It was such a relief to find someone I could talk to at this

large high school with whom I was actually comfortable. He was a great listener and he was supportive. He always had good

suggestions, helped me explore my potential career options, personal interests, and post high school dreams, which was great

because I had struggled in high school and felt ready to start a new chapter of my life. After having Mr. Hord as my guidance

counselor for a year and a half, I decided to go to Timber Academy and he supported my decision. He helped me to apply

and get accepted. Since I’ve been at Timber, it seems everything has started getting better in all aspects of my life. Mr. Hord

is caring, understanding, and easy to get along with. He has made a positive impact on my high school career. If I didn’t have

that support from him, I’m not sure I ever would have been able to attend Timber. I actually asked for about three Timber ap-

plications until I finally decided that’s what was best for me. I am convinced now that my decision to go to Timber Academy

High School was the right choice for me and I expect to walk with the graduating class of May 2012. Mr. Hord is a huge part

of this success I am now experiencing. Attending Timber Academy is helping me to achieve my goal of graduating early from

high school so that I can start Blinn College in the fall. I am honored to have been chosen as a Hall of Fame Honoree and when

asked to choose an educator to honor, Mr. Hord was the first person to come to mind. Many students may choose a teacher or a

coach, but for me, Mr. Hord made all the difference.

Community Service: Summer 2011 CUSE Mission Trip with St. Thomas Episcopal Church Youth Group: the trip included volunteer work at Gen-eration One, Open Door Mission, The Beacon, and the Waystation Leadership positions: Vice President of Student Council Extra-curricular activities: Member of Invisible Children and GSA Plans after high school: I’m attending Blinn College in the fall.

Thank you to the parents and guardians of our Hall of Fame students!Student

Ruby Aguinaga

Rebecca Albrecht

Kandeel Ali

Sarah Almand

Jackie Amdor

Justin Benden

Franco Bettati

Taylor Beyer

Paige Blomstedt

Kyle Campbell

Alex Carstens

Zach Carstens

Alex Caruso

Alexa Cepeda

Abbie Craigen

Patrick Cunha

Aparna Datta

Alina Dattagupta

Abigayle English

Kelsey Gaines

Eric Gan

Alison Garlick

Jenna Helduser

Jennifer Hoyle

Kent Juliff

Holland Knapp

Parents/Guardians

Maria Ramirez

Angela Welch

Ali Allaudin and Myvesh Ali

Matthew and Debbie Almand

Carl and Elizabeth Amdor

Mark and Teresa Benden

Riccardo and Andrea Bettati

Keith and Gina Beyer

Steve and Shelley Blomstedt

Walter and Carrie Campbell

Murray and Helen Carstens

Murray and Helen Carstens

Mike and Jackie Caruso

Antonio and Lisa Cepeda

Taylor and Cindy Craigen

Naveen and Elizabeth Cunha

Anindita Sen and Aniruddha Datta

Akhil and Mausumi Dattagupta

Mark and Alison English

Will and Mary Gaines

Jianbang Gan and Hong Liu

David and Annette Garlick

Janet Helduser

John and Julie Hoyle

Britt and Anna Juliff

Averyt and Randi Mays-Knapp

Student

Joanne Koola

Salou Kraft

Peter Lambert

JJ Lollar

Celina Malavé

Chaiss Matthews

Austen McDougal

Zerrick Merchant

Katherine Nunley

Madeline Packard

Alec Paradowski

Courtney Peters

Kendall Pye

Danielle Reinecke

Sofia Rojo del Busto

David Rooney

Audra Rowe

Cesia Sanchez

Casey Shomaker

Kendra Spaw

Kayla Strong

Tiara Tucker

Katy Turner

Serena Wang

Quinton White, Jr.

Amy Zhang

Parents/Guardians

Paul and Binu Koola

Joseph and Cindy Kraft

Paul and Stacie Lambert

Lotita Bynam

Cesar and Gina Malavé

Todd and Sally Matthews

Randy and Abigail McDougal

Adrian and Toni Merchant

Michael and Sherri Nunley

Mark and Gerianne Packard

Jeff and Becky Paradowski

Aaron and Lauri Brender

Chuck and Julie Pye

Tracy Reinecke

Mario & Katherine Rojo del Busto

Bill and Megan Rooney

Gail and Jeff Rowe

Margarita Sanchez

Mark and Kelli Shomaker

Jeff and Brittany Spaw

Curtis and Angela Strong

Lori Shead and Warren Shead

Bill and Jana Turner

Lifan Wang and Yuanjing Xu

Andree Mable

Yulong Zhang and Jing Cai

About The Foundation Established in 1999, the College Station ISD Education Foundation is a non-profit, tax-exempt 501 (c) (3) public corporation operating independently under its own board of directors. Tax-deductible gifts made to the Foundation provide funds for opportunities above and beyond the normal operating budget of the school district which are not available through tax revenues. Our work is simple: To seek funds and award those funds to students and teachers.

Our Mission and GoalsThe Mission of the College Station ISD Education Foundation is to provide resources to inspire learning, enrich teaching and recognize accomplishments of district students and teachers through partnering with community individuals and businesses.

Improving Public Education……is vital to the future of our nation as well as our community. In order to help our school district meet the increasing chal-lenges that lie ahead, a collaborative effort involving community members and businesses is necessary. The College Station ISD Education Foundation was established to serve as a catalyst for uniting our schools and community.

How Can I Help? • Cash donations • Pledged donations • Sponsorships of special events

• Matched giving through your employer • Memorial gifts and honorariums

• Real estate • Stocks and bonds • Planned giving • In-kind products and services

• Your time and talents!

Remember your donation is tax-deductible! For more information about making a donation or how

you can help contact: Teresa Benden, Director, at 979-764-5400 or at tbenden@csisd.org.

Visit our website at givetokids.csisd.org

Education Foundation DirectorTeresa Benden

For more information on: The CSISD Education Foundation

contact Teresa at tbenden@csisd.org or 979-764-5400 or visitgivetokids.csisd.org

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